Recently, Ranveer Singh aired his apprehensions about how the audiences will respond to his portrayal of Alauddin Khilji. 

“I’m shit scared. I’m playing an anti-hero. Only when I see the film, will I be able to assess my character. It’s a risky move for me. That’s why I took so much time to sign it. For a mainstream leading man to make a choice like this at this stage is dicey. It’s a despicable character. He’s mean. One of my seniors, and who I believe is one of the greatest actors of all time, advised me to be careful. She told me the Indian audience is naïve. If they love a character, the love will transfer to the actor who played it. In this case, if they hate my character, the hate will be transferred to me. I felt if I had to play negative, it had to be with Mr Bhansali. Also, I cannot say no to him. If I have any standing, it’s because of his films,” Ranveer said in an interview with Filmfare. 

We would like to ask Ranveer to relax. Because the Indian audiences do like mainstream actors play negative roles. Let’s take a look at some examples. 

Sanjay Dutt from Vaastav

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycIjAEnQPsE&t=16s

Sanjay Dutt’s role in Vaastav earned him many awards, and many argue that his was the most realistic portrayal of a gangster. From the loud voice to the fearless swagger, Sanjay Dutt hit every note correctly. 

Akshay Kumar from Sangharsh

Akshay Kumar’s role in Sangharsh was scary, as he plays a criminal. That said, it strikes out as one of the most unique performances in the actor’s career that should have got much more praise than it did. 

Vivek Oberoi from Company

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k1lL1Wy6-g

It was his first movie, and boy, did he impress. Crass, dirty and extremely fearless, Oberoi could pass off as a gangster if we walked the streets of Mumbai in real life too. 

Shah Rukh Khan from Darr

Everybody loved SRK’s role as a stalker in Darr. It gave us the chills, and the ‘I love you K… k.. k… Kiran’ dialogue achieved cult status.