Suniel Shetty, a veteran actor known for his action-hero image and versatile roles in Hindi cinema, has been quite open about his selective approach to accepting roles, especially those originating from the South Indian film industries.
While the lines between Bollywood and regional cinema are increasingly blurring, with many actors crossing over, Shetty has revealed a very specific reason for why he often declines offers for South Indian films, even though he frequently receives them.
According to the actor, a distinct trend has emerged where South Indian filmmakers tend to approach Hindi cinema heroes primarily for negative roles—the antagonist, the main villain, or a powerful figure in opposition to the lead hero.
Shetty has pointed out that while he respects the storytelling choices of these industries, he finds himself repeatedly offered parts that cast him as the formidable ‘bad guy’ against the South Indian lead. In a world where the hero’s star power is immense, casting an established Bollywood name as the villain is seen as a way to elevate the conflict and make the antagonistic force appear genuinely powerful and challenging on screen.
This dynamic is a proven box-office draw, creating a significant face-off that excites audiences across language barriers.
A Personal Preference for Protagonist Roles
The core of Shetty’s hesitation lies in a personal discomfort with being pigeonholed into these antagonistic roles. Having been a leading man and a prominent action hero in Hindi films for decades, his preference naturally leans towards more positive, leading, or at least morally grey characters that are central to the plot in a non-villainous way.
He acknowledges that a powerful villain is crucial for any great film, and he has occasionally taken on negative roles, such as his appearance in Rajinikanth’s Tamil film Darbar. However, he admitted that he made an exception for Darbar mainly due to his deep respect and desire to work alongside the superstar Rajinikanth—a dream collaboration that transcended the nature of the role itself.
For an actor whose brand is built on a certain image—be it the action star, the comedic relief, or the emotional character—taking on a steady stream of pure villain roles, even in highly-successful films, can impact the audience’s perception of his body of work. Shetty suggests that consistently accepting these offers might solidify his image as an antagonist in the eyes of the pan-India audience, which is something he prefers to avoid.
In essence, his selective nature is a deliberate career choice, aiming to ensure that his contribution to cinema is well-rounded and not limited to playing the ‘heavy’ in cross-industry projects. While the offers for well-packaged, powerful antagonist roles from the South continue to arrive, Suniel Shetty is choosing to wait for roles that offer him a more diverse and protagonist-focused cinematic space. To know such latest updates, stay tuned to tellyboosters.com Thank you!
