5 Film Characters Who Deserve Movies of Their Own

The 'Spin-off' movie has never been huge in the hindi film Industry, except of course if you count movies like 'Surma Bhopali' (which was made by Jagdeep), but then I believe there has always been scope for Characters who were not exactly in the Lead, and yet left quite an impact which makes me wonder what if these characters had their own Films, with their past stories, their motivations and their lives explored. I felt this strongly when I recently saw Kahaani, and I saw one of the most finely written 'Side Characters' with minimal screen time and maximum Impact, and I am not talking about Bob Biswas

5. Khan (Kahaani)

Nawazuddin Siddique is a good actor, he has played roles in films like Black Friday and Peepli Live, but I belive this is his Break-through film. It's his acting skills that prove that you do not need to be bulked-up to play a domineering character. He is short, thin, and totally menacing.

When the character is introduced, he ignores a string of pleasantries from junior officers because he has complete focus on one thing and one thing only - His Job. He can go to a ruthless extent for protecting his country, even if it means Collateral Damage (in this case, a Pregnant Woman), in fact when a Policeman asks him that if his tactics are such, then what's the difference between him and a terrorist - he replies there is no difference, it's just that he is on the side of the law.

Khan has no place for sentimentality or emotions, in a scene where he pleads with Vidya Balan it seems quite obvious that he is faking it. He is a bit like Alan Moore's Comedian, who knows the limits one has to go for Protecting his country, and he doesn't care.

It would be interesting to unleash Khan in a movie of his own, a fascist hero, cold and unforgiving, he would be very very effective.

4. Abdul (Shaan)


You gotta love this song...

As the song claims, Abdul knows about everyone and everything

Including where that Rascal Kumar goes every night

I believe that Shaan didn't devote enough screen time to one of its most memorable characters. Abdul is a cripple who uses his obscurity to gain info about everything that is worth knowing and has potential value. The heroes of the film rely on his 'Oracle-ness' when they need to plan an assault on the Bald Villain, and is in fact quite indispensable. I wonder why there has been no movie with at least a similar character as his.

Just think about it, he would be a totally different protagonist, who can be molded into a detective or a confidence trickster, he can go anywhere in the city while being hidden in plain sight and can easily solve cases with his knowledge.He is witty and charming, and he has the makings of an excellent lead.

The reason why this character remains untapped because Bollywood hasn't entirely been a leading light in having films about Differently-Abled people without making them a preachy statement like 'Black', Abdul is an under-rated character who in my opinion would lead a very interesting film.

3. Ransa (Gulaal)


'Agar tere baap ne withdraw kar liya hota to...'

In a movie full of strong characterizations, of men with ambitions, of lackeys whose devotion to their masters was astounding, crazy bards who know that going insane is the only form of sanity in this world, of wily women with ulterior motives and meek boys who turn into rage machines on being slighted by a woman, it was the character of this Prince in Exile who literally didn't give a fuck that is one of the best roles any actor can hope for.

Ransa was (as Samuel Jackson would say it) one Bad-ass motherfucker. The son of an erstwhile Raja, he wanted nothing to do with his Highness or his title. In fact, it is his Introduction scene that sums him up best

He has no qualms about who he is, although he does not want to be what his inheritance gives him. He has a violent streak, but he is not trigger happy. Bas koi chutiyapa kare to... And he has the most awesome home that I have ever seen either in real life or in movies. Now imagine another chapter of the gun-toting Enfield Riding fearless Ransa's life, before he entered the story in Gulaal, what would he have been like? Think of the beginning of his adventure as he starts to escape his royal lineage and has the whole of Rajasthan, in fact the whole of the world in front of him. If that is not an awesome premise for a film, I don't know what is.

2. Inspector Amjad Khan (Qurbani)


Qurbani wasn't exactly an awesome movie, but because it was made by Firoz Khan (The King of Kitsch and Gratuitous Skin Show, the latter which we are actually thankful for) it certainly is a fun movie to watch. It has a rather meandering plot, the only redeeming factor apart from the presence of Zeenat Aman was the performance of this great man

Surprise surprise, Inspector Amjad Khan was played by...Amjad Khan!

Amjad Khan had brilliant on-screen presence, and even if he did bad films, he made his scenes worth watching. In Qurbani he played the role of a gum-chewing relentlessly thief chasing excellent Police man (who moonlighted as a drummer for Zeenat Aman's band)

Inspector Amjad Khan stole the scene in this movie, in fact if Firoz Khan would have kept narcissism aside and created a storyline entirely about this character, he would have increased the watchability (sic) of this film a thousand times.

But then, here is the thing, this character is great not because it was written well but because it had Amjad Khan creating magic on screen. It was his mannerisms that made this character memorable, replace him with anyone else and you don't quite see how it would have been done. So if somebody does act in a film Starring In and As Inspector Amjad Khan, he better be half as good as the legend.


1. Inspector Pandit and Inspector Purohit (Maqbool)


Although they should count as TWO characters, but to me they represent one, similar to the way Kaldoot in Nagraj comics has three heads but is actually one kick-ass warrior. To top it all, they were played (and CAN be played again) by Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, part of the few good men in the industry, I believe the two conniving, amoral, corrupt and all around bad guys Pandit and Purohit (based on the Witches of Macbeth) deserve to have an entire film revolving around them, a film full of dark humour and satire.

Okay I agree we are awesome, but you should stop doing 'Mere Baap Pehle Aap' kind of films

The most interesting part about the two Inspectors (apart from the Shakespearen Connotations) is that in the film they do not believe in choosing sides, they have  a sense of 'carpe diem' (so as to say) which makes them unpredictable, funny and dangerous. They work not only for their own good but because at times the situation says 'well, why the fuck not?'

If we can have an entire film about Shah Rukh Khan's fantasies of playing Robber in Cops and Robbers, then we can certainly have a better film about these two (or one) outwitting the law and everyone around them with their uncanny sense of humour. I would be the first in line for tickets (here's to Hoping Vishal Bharadwaj doesn't look to Chetan Bhagat for Inspiration and comes back to some of his own work).

PS - Other Notable Characters - EVERY Role played by Johnny Walker in a Guru Dutt movie, but primarily again because the actor playing the role was Johnny Walker, Jasjit from the original Don and Master Vidyapati from Padosan