Top Villains of Bollywood 2025: Actors With Unforgettable Antagonist Roles

It says that no story appears complete or interesting without a villain. He is indeed the most hated character who creates problems for the protagonist, yet his presence is essential to make the film more engaging for viewers.

Over the years, there have been actors who have played remarkable antagonist characters on screen, which left audiences terrified. Some popular names include Pran, Prem Chopra, Ranjeet, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, and many others. 

The Villain's Era: Actors Who Made Antagonists More Captivating Than Heroes

While particular attributes suit actors for heroic roles, there are qualities which actors need to develop to make them appear scary and daunting when essaying the negative characters.

It is obvious to expect the villain’s death at the hands of the hero, but during the whole film, the antagonist keeps throwing challenges at him and killing one of his close associates.

Filming of such scenes keeps the audience on edge. In the current modern cinema, where antagonist roles are gaining more limelight than heroic ones, we are listing some of the actors with their iconic villainous roles.

Among these are those with the transition of hero-centric roles to daunting villains. So let’s get started.

Amjad Khan, Gabbar of Sholay

Amjad Khan might have essayed many negative roles in the films, but the one fearsome character for which he is still and will always be known is none other than Gabbar from Sholay.

Although he appeared in several films before, he rose to fame in the role of this menacing dacoit. Reprising some of the famous dialogues from this blockbuster film include

• Kitne aadmi the
• Yeh haath humko de de Thakur
• Tera kya hoga Kaalia
• Jo darr gaya samjho marr gaya
• Bahut yaarana lagta hai

Amrish Puri, Mogambo from Mr India

When we discuss iconic villains of Bollywood, it is impossible to forget Amrish Puri. Known for his daunting appearance and baritone voice, his presence appeared chilling to the audience of the 90s.

His famous role of Mogambo and dialogue ‘Mogambo Khush Hua’ in Mr India (1987) became extremely popular.

Apart from it, the late actor delivered other memorable dialogues. Some of these are

• ‘’Jo zindagi mujhse takrati hai, woh sisak sisak kar dum tod deti hai’’ - Ghayal (1990)
• "Aisi maut maarunga ki dobara janam hi nahi loge" - Karan Arjun (1995)
• "Bacha maa ki kokh mein baad mein panapta hai... humra ghulam pehle banta hai" - Koyla (1997)
• "Woh chilate hain toh chilane do. Pehle chilayenge, baad mein thak jayenge, fir bhool jayenge" - Nayak (2001)

Ashutosh Rana, Lajja Shankar Pandey from Sangharsh

After Amjad Khan and Amrish Puri, if there is any other villain with a terrifying presence is Ashutosh Rana.

His role as Lajja Shankar Pandey in Sangharsh (1999) was frightening for the audience. The scene where he makes spine-chilling sounds using his tongue to scare away his catchers.

Besides Lajja Shankar Pandey, one more daunting villainous character he played was Gokul from Dushman (1998).

The harrowing scene where he rapes and kills Naina, played by Kajol, showed his revengeful, cold-blooded, and psychopathic nature. The scene left viewers deeply disturbed.

Some of the notable dialogues of Ashutosh Rana in villainous characters are

• “Kuch bhi ho sakta hai, aur kuch bhi kar sakta hoon” - Dushman (1998)
• ''Mai insaan nahi hu, yeh Jeevan maran tujh jaise tuch praani ki zindagi ka hissa hai’’ - Sangharsh (1999)
• “Main chupke se aa gaya, aur chupke se chala jaunga” - Chupke Chupke (2006)
• "Power ke liye sab kuch karega, darne wale sirf peechhe hatenge”  - Satta (2003)

Bobby Deol,  the mute villain Abrar from Animal

Bobby Deol, the younger son of late actor Dharmendra, made his debut as a hero on March 13, 1995, opposite Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of actor Rajesh Khanna.

Among his notable films are Soldier, Bicchoo, Gupt, Ajnabee, and Humraaz. But after that, Bobby’s career as an actor nosedived. He was bereft of good scripts and was almost forgotten.

The breakthrough in his career came with Prakash Jha’s web series Ashram. Unlike his rom-com roles, he experimented with the negative role of lecherous Baba Nirala.

Sab kuch tumhare samne hoga, par tum kuch nahi kar paoge’’ is a famous dialogue of his in this web series on MX Player.

The series became a hit, and Bobby once again was back on track. After Aashram, he excelled in Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal, playing the mute villain Abrar.

Now he is all set to continue with negative roles and will appear as a baddie in Alpha opposite Alia Bhatt in 2026.

Akshaye Khanna, the butcher Rehman Dakait from Dhurandhar

Last on the list is Akshaye Khanna, who also began his entertainment career as a hero in Himalaya Putra on July 30, 1997.

Like Bobby, he also has acclaimed films to his credit. These are Border, Taal, Dil Chahta Hai, Mere Baap Pehle Aap, Shaadi Se Pehle, Hulchul, Hungama, Aakrosh, Deewangi and Drishyam 2.

Despite excelling in a range of roles, whether romantic, comedy, or action, Akshaye remained an underrated actor.

However, his career has taken a new turn now. From playing a cruel Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, in Chhava (2025), and a ruthless gangster in Dhurandhar, his career has been uplifted to new heights.

Once a forgotten hero, he is now gaining everyone’s attention on social media with his recent antagonist characters.

Although it’s not new for him to play a negative role, as he has appeared as a villain in Humraaz opposite Bobby Deol and Ameesha Patel.

According to reports, Akshaye will play the villain opposite Salman Khan in Kick 2 and in Ikka opposite Sunny Deol.

Three of his popular dialogues are

• “Jo dikhai deta hai, wohi sach nahi hota” - Humraaz (2002)
• ‘’Ae khuda tujhse se naarazgi umar bhar rahegi, Shiva jaisa dushman ab milega kahan, jannat ke darwaze khule rakhna, sher aa raha hai’’ - Chhava (2025)
• ‘’Jo vada kiya hai usse bhulne ki gustakhi mat karna, Rehman Dakait ki di hui maut badi kasai maut hoti hai" - Dhurandhar (2025)

Transition from Hero to Villain: How Impactful is it?

We are all familiar with the actors who are already known for their antagonist portrayals. Amjad Khan, Amrish Puri, and Ashutosh Rana are perfect examples.

For actors like Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna, who we have watched in rom-com roles, have transitioned into antagonist shades.

Both have proved their mettle and have emerged as the top Bollywood villains of 2025. It does require a lot of courage to take up such roles, contrary to the positive ones.

Now, since the audience is accepting them in such roles, it will be a breakthrough in their acting careers.

FAQs

Q: What was the first film of Bobby Deol?

A: Bobby Deol made his debut in Barsaat on 13 March 1995, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. It also starred Twinkle Khanna as the leading heroine.

Q: Which are the best films of Akshaye Khanna as a hero?

A: Some of the best films of Akshaye Khanna as a hero are Border, Taal, Aa Ab Laut Chalein, and Hulchul.

Q: Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna are the sons of which veteran actors?

A: Bobby Deol is the son of Dharmendra, and Akshaye Khanna is the son of actor Vinod Khanna.

Q: What are the upcoming roles of Akshaye Khanna?

A: Akshaye Khanna will appear in Dhurandhar 2, Kick 2, Mahakali, and Ikka.

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