Because I’m bad...

Jasmine Singh

They make their entry immediately after the lead actor and actress are introduced. Just by the slow motion (added for effect), the camera movement which first pans on the stud shoes, then maybe those sun glasses or even cigar and then on the eyes, you know that the badness has set in. This is how most villains make their entry and Punjabi cinema is no different. But yes, the difference has definitely set in from the baritones voices (courtesy Yograj) from the dunali hanging from his shoulder, the new-age villains in Punjabi cinema are more than just heavy-duty dialogues. If you have had the chance to see the long beard and tough look on Jaggi Singh’s face in the film Hero and recently Faraar, you would know what we mean. What has brought in the change and its acceptance, industry explores its bad side unabashedly.

Heavy duty

Villains in Punjabi cinema have always had a characteristic badness to them, most of the times fighting and shouting. “This has changed for sure,” adds actor comedian BN Sharma who has played the funny villain in many films, Ishq Brandy and Munde Kamaal De. He is the bad man you can’t miss to laugh out with. “Villains are bad and good like actor as well. Who says a villain can’t be funny, he can’t make a fool of himself or herself,” Sharma sites 101 Dalmatians and Home Alone villains. “An actor is good, period, but villain can be both and this leaves this character with a lot of scope of experimentation.”

For a change

The bad guys of Punjabi cinema Jaggi Singh, Mukesh Rishi, Mukul Dev, Rahul Dev, Yaad Grewal not only have a style of their own, they are a tough fight for the actors. They can plot better than the actor; they look dashing with a physique that might make the actress think otherwise. Jaggi Singh who moved to America from Jagraon when he was ten is getting great reviews for his look and style in Faraar. Jaggi plays the bad man Kaptaan in it. The actor has done his theatre from New York film academy and prepared himself through workshops before doing the film.

“Being a villain has nothing to do with just the looks, it is to do with body language.” Jaggi is happy that his bad phase in the good time of Punjabi cinema is getting him more eye balls. “My role as Kaptaan has fetched me lot of appreciation, I bet audience like me in the way I have carried myself,” adds Jaggi who loves to play the villain as it gives him ample scope to experiment with his character. This villainous look has left such an impact that youngsters in Punjab have started copying his look. “I had to work on it and all thanks to Gippy Grewal and Baljit Deo I could manage it well.”

Good looks is one aspect that the villains are giving a tough fight to the actors, take it from singer actor Ammy Virk who plays the loveable other actor who has a streak of cunningness in him in the hit film Angrej. “Wasn’t I loveable in the film with all my meanness,” Ammy means it. “I was loved if not like the actor but close to him,” he still can’t help add nineteen to dozen to his ‘bad good’ image.

Body wise

The bad guys here are not weak, they are not just about shouting loud or firing, when they tear their shirt in the fight ring, a wow is bound to escape from your mouth. Yo Yo Honey Singh played the bad guy in Punjabi film Mirza, Yaad Grewal with his six packs will take the fight easy. I am a villain, I am the bad man, and I am tough, Yaad adds, So you get the message. I am going to give a tough competition to the actor, after all how will I be the bad guy if the actor doesn’t sweat to take me down.”

Direct from director

Filmmakers are in act are making an effort to change the image of the villains in the industry. Director Anurag Singh made a policeman, played by Kartar Cheema to fire that one bullet on Diljit Dosanjh in Punjab 1984. Yet another director Amit Prasher makes his bad guys loveable, Atharv Baluja on the other hand makes them play all the mind tricks like Sardar Sohi in the upcoming film Judge Singh LLB. Both Sardar Sohi and Atharv echo, “Villains actually have more grey matter than the actors, because they are busy in the heart games, someone has to use brain as well.” Atharv makes sure his bad man is villainous from brain. “That’s called being the real villain, one who takes down the actor with brain.”

jasmine@tribunemail.com