Bollywood has had its fair share of noteworthy characters, and in this article, we bring you 5 characters in Vishal Bhardwaj Movies that showcase just how brilliant his characterisation is. While some of them have been adapted, his take on each Character is purely brilliant as it completely suits the world that he has built in the particular story.

Each of the characters in this list is completely different from the rest, and yet reflects Bhardwaj’s individuality in them that any cinephile will be able to identify. The director’s ability to adapt and at the same time ensure that people don’t lose track of his story by correlating his characters from their adaptations is extraordinary. So without further ado, let’s begin.

5 Characters in Vishal Bhardwaj Movies

Haider

In Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, Haider becomes Hamlet’s counterpart, played by Shahid Kapoor. Undoubtedly Kapoor’s best performance perhaps could only be pulled out of him by Bhardwaj. His character is tainted by conflicts that resulted from his return to his hometown in Kashmir. He found peace in his family, not to mention, his relationship with his mother Ghazala (a timeless proof of the Oedipus Complex, again portrayed brilliantly by the director). This peace was subjected to ridicule when he saw his mother with his uncle Khurram (brother of Haider’s father Hilaal).

Eventually, he loses his mother. He does find the person responsible for his father’s death i.e. Khurram, but lets him go (being reminded of his mother’s words of how revenge begets revenge). This comes after Haider has confronted Ghaala regarding her feelings for Khurram. His internal conflicts, pain and rage are again propelled by the ambiguous Roohdaar who is the one to plant the thought of revenge in his mind.

Shahid’s delivery and his expressions bring about a sense of loss that seems to have made him lose his mind, making him appear scary. The actor himself has thanked the director on multiple occasions for breaking his stereotype as a chocolate boy. Needless to say, it is all Vishal Bhardwaj’s vision.

The rest of the film’s cast includes Tabu as Ghazala, Kay kay Menon as Khurram, Narendra Jha as Hilaal and Irrfan Khan as Roohdaar.

Nimmi

Tabu has been Bhardwaj’s favourite for a long time. Her portrayal of Nimmi as Lady Macbeth’s counterpart in his Hindi adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Maqbool, can never be forgotten. But unlike in the original play, Nimmi is the wife of a mafia don Abbaji and has an affair with his most trusted henchman Maqbool (Macbeth).

A single scene wherein we see her ask him to address her as “meri jaan” is enough to establish Bhardwaj’s creative prowess to show just how strong her character is. But it’s not ambition that drives her. It is love. And she uses her sexuality to compel Maqbool to kill the only one standing in their way. This take on Nimmi’s love for the titular character puts the former on a different pedestal, one not shared with Lady Macbeth. And therein lies its beauty.

The rest of the cast of Maqbool includes Irrfan Khan as eponymous character and Pankaj Kapoor as Abbaji.

Langda Tyagi

Saif Ali Khan’s ability to act was also explored by Vishal Bhardwaj in his third Shakespeare adaptation. In Omkara (From Othello), Saif plays the role of Langda Tyagi (Iago) who is the antagonist of the film. The way in which the nuanced director created the character makes him (with all his skills and tactics to exploit others to fulfil his desires) surprisingly likeable to us all. And Saif nailed the role with the scary expressions that he managed to pull off even in the most non-scary scenes. This underlying sense of fear that he could evoke is commendable; something for which Bhardwaj is responsible.

The rest of the movie cast includes Ajay Devgn as Om (Othello), Kareena Kapoor as Dolly (Desdemona), Vivek Oberoi as Keshav (Cassio) and Konkona Sen Sharma as Indu (Emilia).

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Sussana Anna-Marie Johannes

Priyanka Chopra played the role of Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes in 7 Khoon Maaf. The movie is based on Ruskin Bond’s short story Susanna’s Seven Husbands. The main character marries 6 guys but their flaws lead her to kill them each time. While this does show the extent to which she is mistreated by her husbands, we cannot at all overlook her unhinged side that makes her kill them. And yet, thanks to Bhardwaj’s magic, we cannot hate her. The way she suffered justified her actions every time to the point where we sympathise with her and at the same time ask ourselves the question- are we really sympathising with a killer? This is Bhardwaj at his best.

The cast of the film includes Neil Nitin Mukesh, John Abraham, Irrfan Khan, Alexander Dyachenko, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Usha Uthup.

Guddu/Charlie

In yet another role (double) played by Shahid Kapoor, the actor proved his abilities again at the hands of Vishal Bhardwaj in the film Kaminey. What proves the director’s mastery in this movie is how he makes the twins completely different from each other and yet keeps on reminding us that they are brothers in a way that is exclusive of them being twins – Kapoor as Charlie with a lisp and him as Guddu with a stammer. Only Vishal could have brought about the humour that’s in both the characters without letting it affect the gritty script.

Alongside Shahid, Kaminey stars Priyanka Chopra and Amole Gupte in the leads.

Which of these 5 characters in Bhardwaj’s movies did you like the most? Let us know in the comments below.

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