“Bollywood once created supervillains like Mogambo (Mr India), Shakaal (Shaan) and Gabbar Singh (Sholay). These characters instilled fear in the minds of audiences. It’s been quite a while, and Bollywood seems to have forgotten the art of creating supervillains,” rues Alex Reece.

The British Hollywood actor who made his debut in Indian cinema this year, received acclaim for his role as the main villain in the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Sajjan Singh Rangroot. Alex goes on to explain what makes negative characters tick. “More than romance, action or comedy, it is thrill that grips the mind of viewers. Don’t forget that fear is the strongest emotion a human being has. Even stronger than love.”

“Love can wane, but fear; it always stays. And it returns at an opportune moment in life. I am now waiting to see when that opportune moment returns to Bollywood — when the industry would again realize the importance of supervillains,” he adds.

 

Interesting thought that! After all, isn’t it the terrorizing nature of supervillains that also make the final victory of the hero — the victory of good over evil — all the more exciting.

For the uninitiated, Alex is also known for his appearance in a mega-budget James Bond commercial starring Daniel Craig. A self-confessed Bollywood buff, he is currently taking Hindi lessons and is preparing to exploit the void of villains in Bollywood.