It is said that making an audience laugh and playing a convincing villain are probably the toughest jobs for an actor. The former requires impeccable coming timing, natural delivery, while the latter demands portrayal of complex and sometimes twisted human emotions. Negative roles depict that life isn’t black and white and it can be grey at times. While we love the humane characters in our television dramas, a good antagonist also plays a pivotal role in taking the story forward. Any good story needs a conflict and anti-heroes give the best and most memorable turns in storylines.
At the same time, playing negative roles need another level of conviction so that despite being not relatable, there must be aspects of the character that look believable. As they say if you are hating an antagonist, the actor must be doing something right. Here’s a look at three of the finest antagonist roles in recent television plays that have left us in shock and the actors who have aced them.
Bilal Abbas Khan in Cheekh
One would have never expected a young talent like Bilal Abbas Khan to portray such a menacing role. Wajih (in Cheekh) is a harasser who killed a sweet girl Nayab (played by Ushna Shah) only because she slapped and rejected his advances. This was just the beginning of his ruthlessness; Wajih openly confessed his crimes in front of Nayab’s best friend and his sister-in-law, Mannat (played by Saba Qamar). If this wasn’t enough, he killed Mannat’s unborn child, threatened her mom to the extent that she gave wrong testimony in court that her daughter is mentally unstable. Wajih didn’t even spare his own sister and brother and made life hell for them as well.
Bilal’s portrayal of Wajih is so brutal that we cannot seem to fathom this handsome boy can resort to such evil schemes. Bilal has proved himself to be a versatile character actor and we surely look forward to his upcoming projects.
Imran Ashraf in Inkaar
Imran Ashraf stole our hearts as the naive and pure Bhola in Ranjha Ranjha Kardi. But the actor took a 180 degree shift as Rehan Chaudhry in Inkaar, where he is a playing a quintessential brat of a politician who has been raised with a feudal mindset. He has never faced rejection in his life and women are mere commodities for him. He tries to take advantage of Hajra (played by Yumna Zaidi) and doesn’t understand that ‘no means no’.
Imran is playing a drug addict, who is so obsessed that he just wants to acquire Hajra so as to defeat his best friend Shayan (Sami Khan) who was engaged to Hajra. He stabs her more than 20 times in a parlour on her wedding day in a surge of controllable rage. Imran has depicted Rehan’s indifferent and ferocious nature with ease. His character is single-mindedly driven to possess Hajra and his presence gives us goosebumps every time he appears on screen.
Asad Siddiqui in Surkh Chandni
Another new addition to the villainous roles is Asad Siddiqui’s portrayal of Jawad in Surkh Chandni. Jawad has committed a heinous crime; he threw acid on Aida (Sohai Ali Abro) who rejected his proposal. He is so vindictive that despite ruining Aida physically, he is now scheming to destroy her emotionally as well. He threatened that he will kill her fiance Amaan (Osman Khalid Butt) if she utters a word. Asad’s character laughs, makes fun, teases and taunts about Aida’s situation as if he is taking pleasure in her misery.
Jawad’s viciousness knows no boundaries as now he is spreading rumours about an alleged affair so that even her family doesn’t sympathize with her pain. Asad Siddiqui has convincingly depicted the evil character along with her mother and Mansha Pasha.
Have you seen these dramas? Which one of these characters do you think has the most evil streak?
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