Best villains of 2007

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Reena

@jaanlover

Sparkler

Posted: 17 years ago

Best villains of 2007

In a year that saw a majority of blockbusters being light hearted entertainers (Welcome, Partner, Heyy Babyy), there was hardly a place for a film that brought alongwith it, the old fashioned hero/hero/villain triangle. And even if a film warranted a baddie, there weren't the usual suspects (from the 80s/90s) like Shakti Kapoor or Gulshan Grover making headlines but actors as diverse as Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal or Jimmy Sheirgill. No wonder then, 2007 was a year that saw majority of actors who enacted negative roles as the ones who have played lead roles for a major part of their career.

Viveik Oberoi - Shoot Out At Lokhandwala

Viveik Oberoi was best known by the name 'Chandu' (name of the character in his debut film Company which made him sky rocket into the big league)! As an underworld don with dreams of reaching to the top all on his own, Viveik Oberoi's character of Maya Dolas in Shootout At Lokhandwala was scary, menacing and shocking. The scene where he kills a man on the steps leading to a temple still leads to goose bumps! The man bounced back big time with this Apoorva Lakhia film and this year, would be seen in the film maker's next Mission Istanbul.

Amitabh Bachchan - Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag

Whatever may have been the fate of this misadventure by Ram Gopal Varma or the mixed reviews that Amitabh Bachchan got for his act, the fact cannot be denied that Big B went all out to deliver his best within the boundaries set in the film's screenplay. As 'Babban' (or Gabbar, if you please), he did quite well as a man possessed with psychotic disorders. There were numerous, finer nuances to his character (not looking into the eyes of his opponents, breaking down on death of his closest associate Tambhe etc.) but they all got lost in the disastrous two week run of the film.

Arjun Rampal - Om Shanti Om

Cool, suave, sexy, charming, stylish, and handsome - No, we are not talking about a lead hero in a commercial setup here. The man in question is Arjun Rampal, who incidentally was the main villain in the blockbuster Om Shanti Om. He redefined the term 'cool', especially in his portrayal as 'Mike' when he turned into a 60 + Hollywood baron. His 'oldish' charm was irresistible and womenfolk were left asking for more even as he died in the film's climax. The hunk has set standards for many a mainstream Bollywood villain with his deadly persona and mannerisms.

Kulbhushan Kharbanda - Manorama Six Feet Under

In the times when boys are dominating the scene and men are concentrating on being the ultimate hunks, Kulbhushan Kharbanda proved once again that why does he continue to be in demand years after first making an impression as a baddie in Shaan. In one of the most unfortunate box office failures of 2007, Kulbhushan Kharbanda shone as an aged paedophile. Though for major part of the film he hardly had any scenes, he made up for the loss in the two major scenes that he shared with Abhay Deol in the film's pre-climax and climax. His lecture on why powerful rules the weak, had a great philosophical, political and egoistic overtones.

Jimmy Sheirgill – Eklavya -The Royal Guard

Most under rated actor in the industry in last decade or so, Jimmy has been labeled as chocolate boy by people from within and outside the industry. Well, he proved that he is much more than just a chocolate boy through his bravura act in Eklavya - The Royal Guard where he played a conspirator along with his on-screen father Jackie Shroff. To stand up against the might of Amitabh Bachchan and ridicule him big time, even if it is for a scene in a film, is nothing less than a challenge but Jimmy accomplished it with aplomb. Can he now take on a full on villain role for an upcoming film please?

Shreyas Talpade - Aggar

This one was the volte face of the year! No one would have expected the Iqbal of 2005 to turn into a sophisticated, cold blooded, smooth planner in plain two years flat. Playing a character which was unlike anything that he had done in the past, he worked hard for the role of a man in his late 30's. Shreyas was a revelation as a doctor who carefully manned all his moves and was a completely opposite person from the exterior and the interior.