The villain era: how 90s Bollywood icons stole the spotlight again
Actors Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol are making a comeback, reflecting changing audience preferences. Their roles as antagonists in recent hits demonstrate a new trend
Bollywood stars of the 1990s may no longer be playing the hero, but they are still stealing the spotlight. The return of actors such as Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol, now cast as main antagonists in recent blockbusters, signals a shift in audience tastes and opens up space for older actors in pivotal, if no longer leading, roles.
Trade experts say their steady presence on OTT platforms has helped familiarise younger viewers with their work, many of whom are now discovering their earlier films, paving the way for renewed big-screen appearances.
“It is certainly a good idea to use these actors, who may not work as heroes anymore, as strong antagonists to add weight and heft to the films. There are several good but underutilized faces, and it is turning out to be a golden time period for them," Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas said.
The positioning of yesteryear stars opposite younger leads in action entertainers helps create enough conflict and drama for audiences, since viewers are likely to take actors of their stature seriously, experts like Puri said.
In big-budget films, their remuneration goes up to ₹30 crore, along with adequate screen time, good dialogues and high production quality.
Dhurandhar and Chhaava, both featuring Khanna, made ₹863 crore and ₹600.10 crore in domestic box office collection, respectively. Animal, starring Deol, had crossed the ₹550 crore mark in 2023. Another actor of the era, Sanjay Dutt, was seen in KGF-Chapter 2 whose dubbed Hindi version alone had grossed over ₹430 crore.
It would not have been wise for established names like these to continue seeking run-of-the-mill love stories, said Ashutosh Agarwal, owner of Star World Cinemas in Uttar Pradesh. “Times have changed and audiences are receptive to seeing actors explore their range with different genres now," Agarwal said.
While Hindi cinema appears to be refining this casting strategy, southern film industries have been pairing regional stars with established Hindi faces for years.
Dutt has appeared alongside Tamil star Vijay in Leo and Prabhas in The Raja Saab, while Saif Ali Khan featured in Devara: Part 1 with Jr NTR and in Adipurush with Prabhas. Deol, recently seen in Kanguva and Hari Hara Veera Mallu, is also set to appear in Vijay’s upcoming Jana Nayagan.
Many of these actors have also tasted success with streaming originals. While Deol was seen in Ek Badnaam Aashram on Amazon MX Player, Khan is known for titles like Sacred Games and Tandav.
Second act
Industry experts also believe they can be cast in several combinations to help control costs for mid-budget cinema. “There is, anyway, a dearth of saleable faces that can lure audiences in some way to cinemas, and these are names that have already proven themselves in the past" said film producer and distributor Yusuf Shaikh, also founder and chief executive of low-cost theatre chain Janta Cinema.
While some of the top stars can prove to be expensive for producers, casting these actors who are enjoying their second innings, along with newer faces, can help producers.
Female actors from the same era, including Tabu and Madhuri Dixit, have also transitioned into pivotal roles across films and streaming platforms. However, these projects have not delivered comparable box-office outcomes. Additionally, current projects are not being specifically conceptualised to position them against younger, leading actors, aiming to achieve a similar theatrical impact.
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