‘Ghajini’ once again reiterates the audience’s love for bad boys

As the anticipation for 2008’s last release, ‘Ghajini’, mounts, it once again reiterates the audience’s love for bad boys. Aamir Khan, who plays the lead in the forthcoming release, goes on a killing spree after his love interest Kalpana’s (Asin Thottumkal) murder. Despite the violent streak of revenge, Khan’s character, Sanjay, is already being touted to be one of the most memorable in this year.

And while Abhay Deol’s character in ‘Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!’ — that of a thief — follows closely behind, the simpleton Suri (Shah Rukh Khan) of ‘Rab Ne Bana De Jodi’ is already nearly forgotten as images of a hulky Aamir in action rule all media. Early 2008 also saw similar characters in leading films like ‘Sarkar Raj’ and ‘Tashan’ where the heroes had less in common with gentlemen. The year clearly belongs to heroes who bear their shades of grey like a badge.

Filmmakers say the success of such a hero lies in the fact that they share much with the common man. “Increasingly, the audience needs heroes who reflect the greyness in them. Characters like Lucky represent a mix of helplessness and ability, which the viewers identify with. After all, cinema is merely a reflection of the times,” explains ‘Oye Lucky!’ director Dibaker Bannerjee.

Onir’s ‘Sorry Bhai’ also touched upon the taboo topic of falling in love with the “brother’s fiancé”, which, in conventional cinema, was a social crime. “Earlier, sisters-in-law were equated with mothers. But Sorry Bhai acknowledges the possibility of such a situation that can happen with anybody, without passing a judgment. This is why the film gained acceptance,” says Onir.

‘Yuvvraaj’, on the other hand, used the concept to promote the film. The promos showed the lead character Deven (Salman Khan) describe himself as mad, arrogant and stubborn — “in short, a bad boy” — and it went down well with the common man who embodies and understands these characteristics.

How else would one explain the success of the ‘Dhoom’ series? Or the popularity of Saif Ali Khan in ‘Omkara’. After a decade-long struggle in the industry, the actor finally established himself through a character that’s not only a goon but also the worst of the lot.

Director Sanjay Gadhvi of ‘Dhoom’ and ‘Kidnap’, however, has an interesting take. While he acknowledges the charm that the not-so-ideal heroes yield, he also feels the “audience’s excitement for the anti-hero is because they get double the worth on a single ticket”. If one can watch two lead actors — one playing the good guy and the other the baddie who can outwit him — the audience has no reason to complain. “At the same time, it provides creative satisfaction to the director and the actors who are saturated with the usual portrayals,” smiles Gadhvi.

Deol, who played ‘Lucky in Oye Lucky!’, agrees with Gadhvi and adds, “Cinema has come a full circle. There’s only as much one can do with an all-nice character. Moreover, grey shades make the character more real and allows the possibility to derive from real life.”

The anti-hero concept is probably as old as the 1950s when Sunil Dutt played the bad son in Mother India. But it was Amitabh Bachchan who brought about the revolution in the early ’80s with ‘Deewar’. Bachchan’s ‘Sharabi’ also broke the norms of the conventional hero by playing a substance abuser. And the memorable Jay and Veeru of ‘Sholay’ were, after all, thieves.

Shah Rukh may have failed to impress the Indian audiences this year with his act of innocence in ‘Rab Ne..’, but ironically, the anti-hero wave of late ’90s that set the stage for the ‘Dhoom’ and ‘Kidnap’ of modern Indian cinema was brought about by the actor. His characters, if not performances, in ‘Baazigar’, ‘Darr’ and ‘Anjaam’ are firmly bookmarked.

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