10 Actors who could have played Gabbar Singh


                            

Gabbar Singh was the most iconic roles of all time of Hindi cinema. Amjad Khan made it unforgettable because of his super performance. What if Amjad Khan had not done this role? What if this role was performed by some other actor? Would Gabbar Singh have still been effective? Would Gabbar Singh have still become a legend?  

The history of Hindi cinema spans a period of 106 years. Beginning from 1913, when the first Hindi movie, Raja Harishchandra was released, until now, 2019, numerous actors have played different roles, some as iconic as Gabbar Singh. But are there 10 alternatives to Amjad Khan for the Gabbar Singh role?

I took up the challenge and decided to do exactly that. I thought, rethought, and was at the point of giving up but my curiosity kept me going. Finally, I settled on 10 actors who I think could have done justice to the role of Gabbar Singh and at least one from those 10, could have surpassed even Amjad Khan’s performance (guess who?).
The 10 actors are:

Sohrab Modi: A towering personality. Booming voice. A little too sophisticated for the Gabbar role but with the right make-up and the kind of actor he was, I think he could have delivered.    

Jayant: Amjad Khan’s father. Another towering personality. Imagine him dressed in Gabbar’s attire and you’ll understand what I am saying. Picture perfect.   

Prithviraj Kapoor: If he can do Akbar, he can do Gabbar also. Versatile. Vibrant. If he can say, Salim, he can say Sambha also.    

Danny Denzongpa: The original choice for Gabbar’s role but because of his other commitments, he couldn’t give the dates to the makers of Sholay. Danny would have blazed away to glory in this role. Those who have seen him in Dhund will know what I mean.   

Vinod Khanna: Wow! Just think of this charismatic actor playing Gabbar Singh. He’d have taken it to a new level.     

Sunil Dutt: The perfect dacoit.

Naseeruddin Shah: Brilliant actor and that’s why he is on my list to play Gabbar. Shah would have added new dimensions to the role.

Shatrughan Sinha: Khamosh! And the theatre would have fallen silent. Sinha as Gabbar, yes, why not? With his style, his loud voice, and cocky confidence, he’d have given a thunderous performance. 

Ajay Devgun: Watch him in Omkara. And you’ll get the answer why his name is mentioned here.  

The last name on my list is SEEMA BISWAS. My number one choice to play Gabbar Singh. This bandit queen would have rocked in the female version of Gabbar’s role.

I had also thought of two more names who couldn’t make the list and they are Pran and   Sanjeev Kumar.

The readers are invited to share their views.

-          NZ

7.8.2019  








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