5 Times Arjun Rampal Proved That He Was Made For Darker Roles

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All that glitters is not gold. But every time we see Major Iqbal, head of ISI, in Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2, we know he is just the gold standard of an Indian villain, much like his gold tooth. And Arjun Rampal has played this role so effortlessly that he doesn’t even look like himself in the film.

As Major Iqbal, we don’t see him as an aggressive, loud mafia boss. Rather, he is the cold and composed mastermind who sits back and smirks every time he accomplishes his mission. Dull and dark eyes don’t haunt half as much as his smile with that occasional golden glint.

He won’t act on anger or impulse. What really gets to him is his pent-up anger towards everyone who wronged him and the nation he serves. He doesn’t even spare his father for his lack of courage in the 1970s war and the mental agony he made the family go through. In fact, in the film, the makers beautifully capture this as the relationship with his father unfolds from pent-up aggression that culminates in a rage where he kills his father.

In fact, he is the one voice that even in the face of a painful death claims that many more like him will continue his legacy.

Dhurandhar Part One was all about Hamza in Lyari getting rid of Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna). But, Major Iqbal was still there, the one who appeared less but at all significant moments. And it is safe to say that Arjun Rampal’s role just took more time to evolve as the ultimate villain.

However, this is not the first time he has played a villainous or darker role than this one. Here are five roles played by Arjun Rampal that prove he is made for darker roles.

1. Ek Ajnabee | 2005

It is a remake of the Hollywood film, Man on fire by Tony Scott. In this film, Arjun Rampal played the role of the villain for the very first time. He was pitted against Amitabh Bachchan. As Shekhar Verma, Arjun Rampal plays the role of a kidnapper. He kidnaps a wealthy couple’s daughter who is being watched over by a former Army officer, Suryaveer Singh (Amitabh Bachchan).
And although the film did not perform well at the box office, it beautifully captures the stunt scenes. Amitabh Bachchan’s powerful acting is yet another high point of this film.

2. Om Shanti Om | 2007

Om Shanti Om is an adaptation of the 1980s superhit film Karz. In this film, Arjun Rampal is pitted against Shah Rukh Khan for the very first time. He plays the role of a super successful yet heartless producer, Mukesh Mehra. The story of the film is around the reincarnation of a junior artist, Om Prakash Makhija, who died trying to save superstar Shanti Priya. And though Mukesh is behind the murders, he is roaming scot-free until 20 years later, when he meets a young and dashing Om Kapoor.
Om Shanti Om was a massive blockbuster. It paired Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone for the first time on screen.

3. Ra.One | 2011

Ra.One was way ahead of its time. It is one of the first films in the world to implement the concept of AI as its main theme. It pitted Arjun against Shah Rukh for the second time. Arjun Rampal plays the role of the titular antagonist Ra.One.
Shekhar (Shah Rukh) is a game developer who is just about to make his next project, Ra.One live. However, Ra.One goes rogue and kills him. The only way to control Ra.One is through G.one, the virtual self of Shekhar.

4. Dhaakad | 2022

In this film, Arjun Rampal plays the role of an international arms and drug trafficker. The whole premise of the film is built to track and hunt him down by an expert field agent: Agent Agni. Kangana Ranaut plays the lead role as agent Agni. And, though the film failed to make a mark on the box office, it did set Arjun Rampal in a negative light.
Other interesting facts about the film are:
– There’s no romantic track in this film
– It shows a woman as the one who takes the lead, which is unlike how we’ve seen them in spy action films till now: as undercover honeytraps, or supporting the main hero.
5. Crakk | 2024

In Crakk, Arjun Rampal is the main villain, and Vidyut Jamwal is the hero. Dev (Arjun) plays the role of the main underworld boss who runs a deadly underground competition. Siddharth Dixit (Vidyut) joins the underworld gaming arena. But he is on a mission to find his brother, who went missing after participating in these games.

When it’s Vidyut versus Arjun, you cannot miss the high-octane action scenes. It is said that the film is based on true events in Telangana; however, the facts have not been verified.

We’ve all loved and laughed at the Shantipriya revenge meme that was circulating on social media after the release of Dhurandhar 2. However, it reminds us of something deeper. A truth that was visible in plain sight, that is, Arjun Rampal fits darker roles effortlessly.

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