I came across a few 'Scariest Bad Guys from Hindi Movies' lists and I must admit I was quite disappointed. Sure, there were a few names that I expected to find there. On the other hand, some of them were younger snazzy-looking folk who couldn't scare anyone unless they wore a Barney outfit and threatened to sing cutesy songs. What happened to the big, the bad and the dastardly? The ones who could freak you out with just one glare? Or at the very most, give you a character worth rooting for? Well, I've put together a small list of my favorites, ones who made stellar villains in almost all of their flicks.
Pran
Some folks will beg to differ but come on! How can you not list Pran as the top cat? He is the most versatile bad guy you can imagine. Who else could act as the devious businessman in one movie and then don the role of a classy pimp in the next flick? Sure, he might not feed innocent victims to sharks in his secret lair but you know what? See that sword on the mantlepiece? Chances are, he could easily swing on a chandelier, grab the sword and slice up a few folks in his way before folks could yell 'Barkurdhar!' Let's not forget that, unlike all the modern wannabes, Pran could always add a bit of dignified oomph to a pimp look. Yes, yes, you could spot his sleazy leering from a mile away but at least he didn't look like a street-smart pimp.
Amrish Puri
Speaking of fellas with secret lairs, who can forget good old Amrish Puri? The man could throw a mean manic glare, not to mention dishing out a creepy tirade which makes you run for the hills. Of course, more often than not, he also had the dungeons, the torture chambers, the 'mad scientist taking over world' uniforms and the freaked out minions. On that note, he must the only villain whose henchmen looked like they truly feared him; minions belonging to other villains either don that apathetic 'when's lunch' look or the decidedly worse 'I am so joining the mutiny' glare. Incidentally, he was also big baddie who ripped out someone's heart with his bare hands in that Indian Jones flick. Yes, he could be that evil!
Amjad Khan
Thankfully he makes it to most of the villain lists I have seen. And why not? The moment he grabbed that bullet belt and stomped around as Gabbar Singh in Sholay, he had guaranteed a name for himself in movie history. Alright so he had minions just like other guys. And chances are he had a secret passage in his fancy little home. But this guy perfected an evil nature that could not be matched by another other. The man could be incredibly chummy with you, let you think that all was good and make you believe that it was alright for the cops to nab his hidden stash of fake note. But before you know it, you are face down in a bonfire while he laughed away like a deranged psychopath. It was this guy's ability to deliver threats and sound like he really meant what he said about kneecaps and cricket bats.
Danny
This one's the angry brooder. While Pran and good old Gabbar guy can act jovial and -to the best of their abilities – blend into the crowd, this guy stood out. Whenever he played the villain, you could always tell he was off to draw blood. Not because he was a hit-man, not for revenge but just because he can! Remember his suave don look in Agneepath? Don't be fooled by that, it was accompanied by a very fierce frown, some crazy yelling and few outraged threats. And on a side note, much as Gabbar Singh did his scare of fright tactics, Danny certainly looked menacing when going for a horseback ride.