Serial killers have been the object of our fascination (and terror) even before the term came into existence. Bollywood has not been immune to its fatal charm. From Ashutosh Rana’s deranged performances in the Nineties to Riteish Dekhmukh’s repressed rage in Ek Villain (2014), the serial killer has extracted some inspired performances from actors. The genre has historically been enmeshed with tropes of misogyny and violence against women but predictably, this hasn’t stopped it from becoming a staple viewing experience for mass audiences. Ahead of the Akshay Kumar-starrer Cuttputlli, we look back at some of the most chilling – and memorable – serial killers of Bollywood.
Ramanna from Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016)
“I’ll call you ‘Pocket’” says Ramanna (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) to a tied-up child, while wielding his tyre iron. “That way if someone asks me why I killed you, I can say I only picked a pocket.”
Serial killer Raman Raghav was notorious for bludgeoning around 30 homeless victims to death in Mumbai in the Sixties. Later diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, Raghav captured the fancy of many directors due to the supposed absence of any real motive behind his murders. Anurag Kashyap‘s 2016 neo-noir psychological thriller presents Siddiqui in the lead role and he proves to be near-perfect casting. Sporting a nasty scar on his forehead, Siddiqui gives a maniacal edge to the role, using every bit of his superb acting skills, beginning with those haunting eyes. The idea of a nightcrawler prowling through the streets of Mumbai is creepy enough but Siddiqui’s descent into madness makes Raman Raghav 2.0 a gripping watch.
Sunny from Mardaani 2 (2019)
If incel culture had a proud ambassador, it would be Sunny from Mardaani 2 — young, dangerously-egotistical and misogynistic. Played by Vishal Jethwa, Sunny is shown to brutally rape, torture and kill outspoken women in the city of Kota, a hotspot for aspiring students. A sequel to Mardaani (2014), Mardaani 2 is inspired by real cases. While the film fails to add any layers to the issue of gender-based violence, it cements Jethwa as a psychopathic killer hiding in plain sight – perhaps, a larger commentary on the real rapists and murderers of this world. In one scene, Jethwa dons a burkha to conceal himself, leaving only his kohl-lined eyes visible and yet, this is enough for him to express the menace that lies underneath. His unhinged energy shines through the film’s unapologetic portrayal of horrific gore and violence. This one is not for the faint-hearted.
Lajja Shankar Pandey in Sangharsh (1999)
Ashutosh Rana’s Lajja Shankar Pandey has rightfully earned his place as one of Bollywood’s most frightening and iconic villains even if the film — inspired by Silence of the Lambs (1991) — is among Bollywood’s more regrettable examples of being ‘inspired’ by existing Hollywood films. When a string of child murders and abductions occur, Reet Oberoi (Preity Zinta) suspects Lajja Shankar, an erratic religious fanatic who is shown to regularly communicate with the gods. It is soon revealed that Lajja Shankar abducts children to use them as human sacrifices, believing this will grant him immortality. Rana’s performance as Pandey is eerily childlike and diabolical at once. For instance, before murdering a man, he holds him close – almost embracing him – and tells him how he slaughtered a bunch of animals as an 11-year-old. So convincing was Rana in playing this tortured, intense villain that his stills (and bloodcurdling screams) from the 1999 film still have a strong recall value – just ask any Nineties’ kid.
Rakesh Mahadkar in Ek Villain (2014)
Reitesh Deshmukh is best known for his comedy roles and will be seen as a romantic lead in the upcoming Plan A Plan B, but he stole the show in Mohit Suri’s Ek Villain as a mild-mannered man with a deadly anger management problem. Deshmukh shines as Rakesh Mahadkar, a beleaguered man who is constantly disrespected at work and verbally abused at home by his wife. Rakesh channels his frustration into murderous rage against women whom he senses are being disrespectful to him. He constantly refers to his abusive wife as “meri Sullu” (my Sullu) — no relation to Tumhari Sulu (2017) — pointing to the dangerous delusions he harbours and how this tortured marital relationship impacts Rakesh’s relationship with the women around him. As a knife-wielding murderer, Rakesh remains one of the most cold-hearted serial killers Bollywood has known.
Dheeraj Pandey in Murder 2 (2011)
Said to be an unofficial (and terrible) remake of Na Hong-jin’s Korean film The Chaser (2008) — which was inspired by a real-life serial killer — Murder 2 stars Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline Fernandes in lead roles. However, it is the antagonist that remains the most memorable, thanks to Prashant Narayanan playing Dheeraj Pandey. Narayanan offers some spark to a script that is more plotholes than plot. He plays a deeply sadistic man who kidnaps sex workers and murders them. The more we hear about him, the creepier he gets; his family members say he used to beat his wife; his fellow workers mention that he used to create sculptures of the devil. The man is even shown to castrate himself. Ouch.
Also Read: 8 Best Comical Villains in Indian Cinema
Constable Kamble in The Stoneman Murders (2009)
Raman Raghav wasn’t the only one who made victims out of the homeless people of Mumbai. In the early Eighties, Bombay was gripped with terror due to the Stoneman or “Patharmaar”, who killed his sleeping victims by stoning them. Though the killer was never caught in real life, The Stoneman Murders weaves a fictional tale around its incidents with Kay Kay Menon playing a suspended sub-inspector hoping to crack the case. Virendra Saxena initially portrays the role of a trusted aide – Hawaldar Kamble – before it is revealed that he is the Stoneman. Saxena’s performance isn’t bad, but it’s the way the storytelling heightens the growing dread around the gory murders that keeps the audience hooked till the end.