Mogambo Khush Hua!

When I read Rishabh's post on the best villains and bit-roles in movies, I thought that this list was a little Prince Harry (my latest term for anything white-man). This is my list - the desi counterpart. One must note that this list is biased in that I watch movies only in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. In no particular order, here they are:

One: Paresh Rawal in Kshana Kshanam. Arguably Ram Gopal Varma's most fun movie ever, with pacy dialogue that would put a screwball comedy to shame, and a plot that compares with any acclaimed thriller, this blockbuster Telugu movie has lots of little characters excellently played - Paresh Rawal's sidekick who never has an answer to anything, and the guy who lives below Sridevi's house come to mind. But the one who takes the cake is Paresh Rawal, with his highly accented Telugu, his brilliant rendition of Ek Do Teen on the piano and the natural expression on his face that makes you laugh every time he's on screen! Given all this, in a couple of scenes, he does manage to be extremely menacing giving the movie its required thriller touch. If you haven't yet seen the movie, be dismissed from civilisation's presence, and come back when you have watched it!

Two: Rajat Kapoor in Monsoon Wedding deserves every accolade there is for playing a small role with extraordinary panache. Throughout the movie, you know there's something wrong with him, but nobody ever says anything. He doesn't say anything. But you still know there's something wrong. And that's where Kapoor scores. The expression on his face when he is asked to leave at the end is one of the images from Monsoon Wedding that will stay with me forever, because it is this expression that changes this really good movie into a great movie. (Also to be noted in this movie are Dubey and Alice - what a pair!)

Three: When people talk of Naayagan, they often shower praises on Kamal Haasan's role, the screenplay, the story, the direction, the music. While all these are brilliant and go a long way in making it one of Indian cinema's milestones, we often ignore the smaller contributions that hold this classic together. Janakaraj in his little role as the Godfather's right-hand man is at once the humble, serving, caring aide and at the end, the only companion of Velu Naayagan. But in this one scene in the courtyard, when Velu's daughter slaps him, his reaction is sublime. His role in Roja was in serious contention for this spot, but when I remembered this scene, we had a clear winner. Janakaraj is definitely one of Tamil cinema's much-ignored dynamites - capable of handling slapstick comedy and drama with such dexterity, and yet merge with the background, not ever wanting the limelight for his work.

Four: This is a joint position awarded to Saif Ali Khan and Dinesh Dobriyal for Omkara. Jointly because I didn't want to give two awards to the same movie, and I the scenes I enjoyed in the movie the most were scenes involving both of them. Most notably, the one on the bridge. And, the one on the terrace where Dobriyal announces to the world, "Langda Tyagi, Bahubali! Bahubali, Langda Tyagi!" Other memorable scenes involving these two in this memorable memorable movie are the scene where Saif breaks the mirror, the scene where Dobriyal speaks on the phone to Billo, when Saif shoves the invitation cards in Dobriyal's face and asks him to distribute, and the end when Saif declares that there is no difference between his truth and lies anymore. Langda Tyagi, movie should have been named after you, and not the Company-redux Omkara!

Five: Gabbar Singh. I shall not say more, for there is nothing left to be said. Watch Sholay if you haven't, and you'll realise, no words can do justice to Gabbar! Man, that lecherous expression he has in Mehbooba...

I put this in a separate paragraph because I think Gabbar Singh can't share the same space with anyone else, but check out a similar villain in Chinagate. He's damn good too.


Six: Gangu Thai from Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II is the most disgusting, scary, vulgar, ruthless and for those very reasons, funny villain Bollywood has ever produced. In one of the most under-rated movies of this decade, filled with brilliant performances by everyone from Arshad Warsi to the Balle Balle Boys, two people stand out - the guy who played Vishnu, and Gangu Thai. Because we're going with the smaller roles, I leave Vishnu out. Gangu Thai delivers her dialogues in that over-the-top, Chhammiya No. 5 style, and makes you believe in one scene that she is actually capable of cutting one of her men's fingers. When Arshad Warsi calls her, "Maa!" you really see the love she has for her 'son'. She makes you cringe, cry, put off the TV, fast forward, and at the same time, laugh, love, and revisit her role in this quirky, farcical, one-of-a-kind movie.

Seven: Kannathil Muthamittal is right up there amongst Mani Ratnam's best. It is a celebration of unabashed senti-ness, and is executed brilliantly. Nandita Das has a total screen time of about 20 minutes in a two and a half hour long movie, but along with Keerthana, she is the subject of the movie. In those twenty minutes, she manages to create such an impact - first, as the carefree wife, then as the refugee, then in that LTTE camp as a cold-blooded freedom fighter, and in that last scene, finally, as a mother. A close second as Tamil cinema's best amma role (Nandita Das was not really a traditional Nirupa Roy style 'amma' role, but she was the 'mother', so that counts) is Srividya in Thalapathi. The scene in which Rajnikanth and Srividya react to the sound of the train - only Mani Ratnam could have conveyed so much so subtly, and only Srividya could pull it off on screen.

Eight: This entry might be a little biased because I think Simran is a goddess. However, in Pithamagan, in the ten minutes she appears on screen as herself, she is just unbelievable! The scene involving Simran is so audacious, that it could have either gone down as a publicity stunt, or as one Tamil cinema's most famous scenes ever. Simran, with some help from the absolutely electric Surya, and a superb Vikram, makes sure it takes the latter route. The energy and the joy that fills this sequence is unmatched by anything I have ever seen on screen!

Nine: When I spoke of Paresh Rawal in Kshana Kshanam, I mentioned how the natural expression on his face just made you laugh every time you looked at him. Its the same quality about Om Prakash that puts him one level above the other stalwarts acting in Chupke Chupke. In that movie, Dharmendra and Amitabh have all the punch lines, Jaya Bachchan does the pretty-looking routine, Sharmila Tagore is the one who sings the songs, but Om Prakash as the soap-selling, retired-barrister, genius jijaji steals the show.

Ten: Lastly, I salute one of India's most famous villains ever - Mogambo. Amrish Puri, over the years, has played all kinds of roles - the London-settled desi at heart, ridiculous villains in crazy outfits (Telugu movie watchers will remember Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari and Atavi Donga), the evil zamindar, comic relief and so on. But, for twelve whole years of my life, every time I saw him on TV, I'd say, "Mogambo Khush Hua! Eehahahahaha!" Along with Gabbar Singh, Mogambo is Bollywood's most recognised, parodied, imitated villain ever, and in my books, given Sholay was before my time, a villain with whom I share a special bond, for he was the first bad-guy I loved!