From a corrupt politician to a malevolent businessman to a sinister priest to an out and out evil mischief-maker, every villainous role that Amrish Puri has ever played in Indian cinema has turned out to be the glittering jewel of its respective movie. The iconic Amrish Puri may be no more, but there’s another stellar actor who’s gradually taking over the mantle left behind by the legendary villain. That actor is none other than Sanjay Dutt.
That Sanjay Dutt is an excellent actor is a fact beyond any doubt. But of late, the actor has upped his acting game considerably. Not just that, he’s become the first actor of choice for filmmakers when they need a powerful antagonist to face-off against their leading men.
So if it is a deadly Adheera in KGF Chapter 2, or the bloodthirsty Ahmad Shah Abdali in Panipat, it is Sanjay Dutt that filmmakers turn to, to recreate the evil villain they’ve envisioned in their script.
It all started with Sanjay Dutt’s turn as Ballu in Subhash Ghai’s Khalnayak. His unhinged villain character received wide-spread acclaim from audiences and critics. Vaastav added an edgy texture to Sanjay Dutt’s personality. The actor took it a step further with his Kancha Cheena in 2012’s Agneepath. He made a truly terrifying villain in the Hrithik Roshan starrer, such that he even outshone the leading man in the film.
There was no looking back after that. Sanjay Dutt has grown in stature as an actor who leaves his mark as a menacing, charismatic villain in every film he graces as an antagonist. He’s acquired a chameleon-esque ability to transform himself into iconic characters such as KGF 2’s Adheera, much like Amrish Puri did in his heydays.
Sanjay Dutt will be seen as yet another unnerving, larger-than-life villain in the upcoming Shamshera. He plays Shuddh Singh, who faces off against Ranbir Kapoor’s titular character. The actor has carved a niche for himself in the Indian film industry, as an antagonist par excellence.
Sanjay Dutt’s villainous roles are not stopping any time soon. In fact, it won’t be long before antagonist roles are especially written keeping in mind Sanjay Dutt’s calibre as an actor and villain.
Does that mean Sanjay Dutt is the new Amrish Puri of Indian cinema?
Only time will tell.