South villain set to terrorize Bollywood
By Monish Singh
WHEN it comes to playing a tough, moustache-twirling villain, Kabir Duhan Singh is probably one of the best.
The actor is so well-versed in portraying a negative character that he has successfully carved out a career as an antagonist in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. After essaying some of the most compelling villains in multiple blockbusters in the south Indian film industry, the versatile actor is now ready to set his foot in Bollywood with multiple projects.
No prizes for guessing what kind of roles he will be playing. He may be scary on-screen, but the extremely down-to earth actor is super friendly in real life and was happy to speak with Garavi Gujarat about his forthcoming projects, including his Bollywood debut and working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He also discussed his big unfulfilled dream and why he chose to make a living as a villain on-screen.
You come from the Hindi belt, then why did you choose to go all the way to the south of India to kick-start your career in films?
I belong to Faridabad, Haryana. When I came to Mumbai for my modelling assignments, there was always a thought at the back of my mind that I should first get into south films. Today, my 22 films have been dubbed in Hindi. They are being played on television. The audience here is yet to see my work in Hindi, but they already know me. Now that I am finally ready to set my foot in Bollywood, there is already an atmosphere of anticipation, I feel.
Why did you take so much time for your debut in Hindi films?
I had been getting offers from Bollywood since the beginning of my acting career. I had rejected almost 15 films before signing my first film in Hindi. I was always looking for projects where I play the antagonist. Why? Because if I kick-off my career with a lead character, they will call me for lead characters only. If I make my debut with a side character, I will be practically typecast for such roles. I will never get a lead character after that. That’s sad but true. I didn’t want to be typecast as a character artist. I always receive calls from casting directors for the main villain. So I hope that those calls keep coming to me forever (laughs).
Why did you choose to become an anti-hero in films?
I always wanted to play grey-shaded characters. A villain has a lot more things to do in a film than a hero. I think that audiences like anti-heroes more than heroes. There is something irresistible about them. Look at the crazy popularity of Yash who played an anti-hero in KGF: Chapter 1 (2018). People are waiting for KGF: Chapter 2 with bated breath. Whatever fan following I have today, I guess it is because I play antagonists and not conventional roles.
You have also signed an international film, if I am not wrong… Yes, I am very much excited about my international debut. That film will be releasing in 80 countries across the world. It is a Bangladesh-Turkey co-production titled Netri: The Leader. It is expected to get off the ground soon.