Bollywood Superstars to Make Tollywood Debut as Villains, Tollywood Shifts Focus to Fresh Leading Ladies

Tollywood Filmmakers Opt for A-List Bollywood Actors for Anti-Hero Roles, While Exploring New Female Leads

Popular Bollywood actors such as Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal, and Bobby Deol are all set to make their debut in Tollywood as villains. Tollywood filmmakers have taken a departure from casting leading Bollywood actresses like Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, Ananya Panday, etc., and are now focusing on fresh talent to play leading ladies in their films.

While Tollywood has often brought in actors from other industries to play negative roles, the current trend of casting Hindi film heroes as anti-heroes has piqued interest. Filmmaker Anil Ravipudi, who has cast Arjun Rampal as the antagonist in his upcoming Telugu film starring Balakrishna, explained that he wanted someone who exudes fitness, style, and a unique appeal for the role. Anil believes that Arjun’s swag will resonate with audiences across industries, and he praised the actor’s versatility, stating that Arjun can adapt to any role.

In a dream casting move, director Om Raut, following the success of the grand historical saga “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior,” has chosen Saif Ali Khan to play the role of Raavan in his upcoming epic film, “Adipurush,” based on the Ramayana. Raut expressed admiration for Saif’s portrayal of an antagonist in “Tanhaji,” which impressed him and led him to envision Saif in the character he had written for “Adipurush.” Saif had to undergo a remarkable physical transformation and imbibe some psychological traits of Ravan for the role. Additionally, Saif will also be seen as a villain in a film directed by Koratala Siva, starring Jr. NTR.

The growing global reach of Tollywood films, combined with the willingness of producers to offer substantial remuneration, has enticed Bollywood actors to join Tollywood projects. Sanjay Dutt, who played the menacing Adheera in the “KGF” series, has reportedly been offered a lucrative deal for his upcoming Telugu debut alongside Prabhas. Producers sought an antagonist who could match Prabhas’s larger-than-life image and presence, and casting Sanjay Dutt was seen as a strategic move to attract a wider audience across different languages. Similarly, Bobby Deol replaced Arjun Rampal in the period drama “Hari Hara Veera Mallu,” starring Pawan Kalyan, after being offered an appealing deal.

Bobby Deol, like Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan, has transitioned from being a popular Bollywood hero to taking on negative and character roles. Bobby expressed his desire to explore different kinds of roles and mentioned being impressed by director Krish’s work on “Hari Hara Veera Mallu.” Bobby’s success in the web series “Ashram” motivated him to take on versatile roles, acknowledging that not every opportunity is a surefire success but worth the gamble, as seen in his recent film “Love Hostel.”

Tollywood continues to experiment with actors who were once popular heroes, including those from the ’90s, 2000s, and even the past decade. Joining this trend is versatile actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, known for his grey-shaded characters in Bollywood blockbusters. Nawazuddin will make his Telugu debut in Sailesh Kolanu’s action thriller “Saindhav,” starring Venkatesh. The filmmaker emphasized