Happy birthday, Raj Babbar: Times he was perfect as villain
Actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar has turned 71 years old. With a career spanning over four decades, Babbar has played different shades of roles in films. But, he is most loved for being a villain. To mark his birthday, we take a look back at some of the films in which he played a negative shade, becoming one of the best Bollywood villains.
'Insaf Ka Tarazu'
Directed and produced by filmmaker BR Chopra, Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980) was a breakthrough film in Babbar's career. The revenge drama is inspired by the Hollywood film Lipstick which was released in 1976. Babbar essayed a rapist who sexually assaults the film's lead character (Zeenat Aman) and her sister. The film also starred Simi Garewal and Padmini Kolhapure, among others.
'Yaraana'
Starring Rishi Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Babbar, Shakti Kapoor, and Kader Khan, Yaraana is a 1995 romantic thriller. The film was directed by David Dhawan. Babbar played the role of JB who falls in love with Lalita (Dixit). JB eventually abducts Lalita to marry her forcefully. Babbar won the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. It was loosely based on Julia Roberts-led Sleeping With the Enemy.
'Ziddi'
Ziddi featured Sunny Deol and Raveena Tandon in the lead. Directed by Guddu Dhanoa, the film featured Babbar, Shahbaaz Khan as well as Sharat Saxena as the main antagonists. Not only the film was a hit at the box office, but its music was also loved by the audience, especially the song Mera Dil Le Gayi Oye, which became a chartbuster.
'Daag: The Fire'
Released in the year 1999, Daag: The Fire starred Sanjay Dutt, Chandrachur Singh, Mahima Chaudhry, and Babbar in important roles. Babbar essayed the role of Tejeshwar Singhal, an influential man and father-in-law of Singh's character who is responsible for Dutt's father's death in the movie. Inspired by 1991's Hollywood film Regarding Henry, Chaudhry played a dual role in the film directed by Raj Kanwar.
