Bollywood Actors Turned Villains: A Rising Trend in Telugu Film Industry

The Telugu film industry has a reputation for following patterns. Whenever a film succeeds in a particular setting or backdrop, many more will follow in the same fashion or genre. Similarly, when one heroine becomes popular, every filmmaker wants to cast her. Now, a new trend is emerging in the Telugu film industry – casting famous Bollywood actors as villains.

Casting Bollywood Actors in Villain Roles

Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan, who dominated the Bollywood film industry as lead heroes for many years, have now turned to play villains in Telugu films. Additionally, casting Bollywood actresses such as Janhvi Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, and Ananya Panday in Telugu films has become the norm. Telugu producers are not hesitating to offer hefty remuneration to these actors, as the paycheck is tempting for them. Plus, Telugu films now have global reach.

Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan, the handsome hero of films like “Hum Tum,” played Lankesh, the Ravana, in Prabhas’ mythological film “Adipurush.” He will also make his Telugu debut in ‘Devara’. He plays the film’s main antagonist. The paycheck he received for the film is said to be a humungous sum.

Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt, once Bollywood’s number one hero, made his South Indian film debut with Kannada mega-blockbuster ‘KGF’ and has been busy ever since. He is now making his Telugu debut in a Prabhas film. He plays the antagonist in Prabhas’ supernatural thriller directed by Maruthi.

Bobby Deol

Bobby Deol, like Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan, was a popular Bollywood hero. Still, he is now focusing on negative and character roles. Bobby Deol will play Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, in Pawan Kalyan starrer period drama “Hari Hara Veera Mallu.”

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has previously played negative roles in Bollywood blockbusters, is making his Telugu debut. He plays a key role in Sailesh Kolanu’s action thriller ‘Saindhav,’ starring Venkatesh.

Arjun Rampal

Arjun Rampal, the handsome Bollywood actor, was supposed to make his debut in “Hari Hara Veera Mallu,” but scheduling conflicts prevented him from doing so. Nevertheless, he did not pass up the opportunity to appear in a Telugu film. He is currently playing the antagonist in Nandamuri Balakrishna’s film, which is being directed by Anil Ravipudi.

Dino Mario

Dino Mario is another Bollywood actor who recently made an unsuccessful debut in Telugu in the film ‘Agent.’

It seems that casting Bollywood actors as villains in Telugu films is becoming increasingly popular. The paycheck may be a significant motivation. However, their performances are also crucial in enhancing the cinematic experience and adding more layers to the film’s storytelling. As Telugu films continue to globalize, it seems that this trend will continue to grow in the coming years.