Believe it or not, one of the most crucial ways our movies portray villains as menacing is by using beard and moustaches. 

© Viacom 18 Motion Pictures

Trust us when we say that properly styled facial hair can make or break a character.

Take Karan Johar as an example in Bombay Velvet. He looked like a proper villain, all thanks to that sharply styled chevron moustache of his. And boy, did he do a good job as a villain in the film.

© Phantom Films

We take a look at a few of the most iconic villains from Indian movies, who had great facial hair, which added layers to their appearance on screen and made them more devilish.

Ranveer Singh In Padmaavat

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Ranveer as Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat was one of the best on-screen villains we have had in a long time. His get up and his look for the film was just phenomenal. His beard, however, was on a different level. The full-sized, full-grown beard that he donned for the film, greatly added to his persona. Plus, in some of the shots, the way he styled his beard, was both, alluring, as well as menacing.

Freddy Daruwala in Holiday

© Reliance Entertainment

As far as facial hair is concerned, stubbles can be a hit or a miss. As Shadab Ali Farooqui, the leader of the sleeper cells in Holiday, Freddy Daruwala’s stubble was a great hit. It was well defined and added a nuanced menace to his appearance. 

Sajjad Delafrooz in Tiger Zinda Hai & Special Ops

© Hotstar

Sajjad is setting some major grooming goals with his beard. Be it in the film Tiger Zinda Hai, or the series Special Ops, the way he has styled his short, fully grown beard is just dope. Guys, seriously, if you’re looking for a way to style your beard, that always looks elegant, this is the way to go.

Nikitin Dheer In Various Films

© Red Chillies Entertainment

Nikitin Dheer happens to be one of the most stylish guys who has played a villain across a number of films. Pick any of his web series, or films. You won’t be able to deny that he looks damn convincing as a villain. Again, a large part of it has got to do with his looks. The beard he dons makes him one of the most reliable actors to play a villain.

Ramachandra Raju In KGF: Chapter 1

© Hombale Films

If you haven’t watched KGF: Chapter 1 yet, we suggest you drop whatever it is that you’re doing and go watch it. The film was phenomenal, and it was Yash’s show, through and through. However, as a villain, Ramachandra Raju playing Garuda, is clearly one of the most maniacal villains we have had in decades. His long, unkempt, fully grown beard made him look like a devil in human form. Truly, this was a masterful performance.

Ronit Roy in Boss

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Ronit Roy’s portrayal of a cop in Boss was fiendish to say the least. He perfectly embodied the role of a corrupt cop. The moustache that he grew for the film, also called the pornstache complemented his character, rather perfectly.

Amjad Khan In Sholay

© Sippy Films

Finally, we have Amjad Khan’s Gabbar Singh in Sholay. Without any doubt, he is the most classical villain in Indian film history. The patchy, unkempt and dirty beard, with a bit of mutton chops thrown into the mix - that was a goldmine for beard styles. As devilish as the character was, Amjad Khan, not only portrayed the part well, he also looked perfect as a dacoit.

The Bottom Line

For actors, their character’s style and how they come across on screen is crucial to portray a character convincingly. For villains, it becomes even more pertinent. Some of the actors that we saw today, came across as more fiendish and proper maniacs, all thanks to their beards.

Think we’re missing someone out on this list? Let us know in the comments, who all would you put on the list.

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