The adorable girl-next-door, the romantic hero, the guy who makes you laugh, the bubbly girl; our Bollywood actors are known to play host of positive characters. But what happens when the same actors step into the grey zone? You get a negative character played with such conviction that the performance leaves you astounded. We take a look at such actors who have dared to push their boundaries, get out of their comfort zone and essay grey characters with aplomb.

Riteish Deshmukh in Ek Villain

Riteish Deshmukh

Riteish Deshmukh in Ek Villain

Riteish Deshmukh is known for his impeccable comic timing. So when he played a dark and intense villainous character in Ek Villain, we got to see a new side of his acting prowess. His portrayal of a frustrated and psychotic man drew him praise from all quarters.

Purab Kohli in Noor

Purab Kohli

Purab Kohli with Sonakshi Sinha in a still from Noor

Purab Kohli has always been open to experimentation. From a drummer in Rock On to the small town Indian working in the Middle East in Airlift and now a war photojournalist in Noor. This is the first time that the audiences saw Kohli play a fearless character with shades of grey. The actor has definitely managed to win us over with his performance.

Varun Dhawan in Badlapur

Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan in Badlapur

Badlapur undoubtedly boasts of Varun Dhawan’s best performance till date. The heartthrob effortlessly transforms (both physically and emotionally) into a grief-stricken husband who is driven by rage and revenge for his wife’s murder. The actor has mentioned in several interviews how becoming Raghu (the character) was an emotionally challenging experience for him.

Vicky Kaushal in Raman Raghav

Vicky Kausal

Vicky Kausal in Raman Raghav 2.0

An actor who took the industry and audiences by surprise with his dark side is actor Vicky Kaushal.  The intensity in his eyes as the drug addict cop brought chills to many a fans. Vicky definitely deserves a pat for exploring and beautifully delivering such a dark character at an early stage in his career.

Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2

Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2

He was the blue-eyed boy of Bollywood known for roles that had the girls swooning. But Dhoom 2 saw Hrithik Roshan with tread into the bad boy territory. The actor plays a high-profile robber whose passion is to steal valuable collectibles. The role also demanded him to experiment with various looks in the same film, another feat that he achieves with ease. The character may have been grey but it was appreciated by the audience.

Preiti Zinta in Armaan

Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta in Armaan

With her dimples and lively attitude, Preity Zinta is the last person one imagines in a grey character.  But the actress stunned all with her choice of role in Armaan where she plays an obsessive woman who will go to any extend to get what she wants.  While the movie did not work too well, Zinta’s experiment was well-received.

Vidya Balan in Ishqiya

Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan in Ishqiya

Vidya Balan is an actor who can pull of any character with ease. Yet her bold and manipulative character in Ishqiya caught everyone by surprise. She hit the nail on the head with her act as a widow who wants to avenge her husband’s death.

Shraddha Kapoor in Haseena

Shraddha Kapoor

Shraddha Kapoor in Haseena

Joining the league of actors who have experimented with negative characters is Shraddha Kapoor. Having largely played sweet and bubbly characters, Haseena is the first film where Kapoor will be seen in a bold and fearless avatar. As underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s sister, the actor’s menacing look as Haseena has definitely piqued our interest.

Know of other actors who have experimented with dark characters? Tell us in the comments below.

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