Bollywood has for a long time carried the ‘good vs evil’ trope. But, we forget that these movie characters are fictional and that we can’t simply judge someone as pure ‘evil’ or pure ‘righteous’. We are humans with many shades- some good and some bad. So, even though Bollywood wants you to hate some characters- having a closer look at them will reveal that they aren’t as ‘villainous’ as we thought of them. They are normal humans who sometimes make mistakes or wrong judgments, or are simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Here are such most misunderstood Bollywood movie characters that are not as bad as you think.
Also Read: 22 Most Memorable Bollywood Characters of All Time
1. Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
You know that woman who was simply in love and had a different way of thinking about how love works than you? Well, Natasha was just super excited and had misinterpreted the situation- so, Kabir should’ve immediately cleared things up with her instead of leading her on about the engagement. Also, when Kabir told her the truth- she was quite cool with it. So, no one comes out as a villain in this situation, and everything is the best for everyone. No more hate for Natasha, please!
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2. Meghna (Manjiri Phadnis) | Jane Tu Ya Jane Na
Meghna had family issues. Yes. She was a bit delusional? Yes. But, she was a good friend and a loyal girlfriend. Depicting her in a negative light when she wasn’t even aware of Jai and Aditi’s confusion about their relationship. And, when they came out clean about their feelings, Meghna accepted the truth gracefully and maturely.
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3. Anshuman (Tarun Arora) | Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a cult classic rom-com movie and Geet is one of the most popular characters that Kareena Kapoor has played. However, many of us hated Anshuman for rejecting Geet’s proposal to run away and get married. He was clear that he didn’t want to marry and also advised Geet to stay put- lekin Geet kisi ki kahan sunti hai!
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4. Chatur Ramalingam (Omi Vaidya) | 3 Idiots
Chatur was a bit obnoxious and overly proud of his academic achievements. But every nerdy person is! And, even if he was somewhat competitive- it was because he worked hard to get good scores. On the other hand, Rancho, at first glance, may look like a hero- but, he bullied Chatur, changed his speech, and made him miserable.
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5. Dr. J Asthana (Boman Irani) | Munna Bhai M.B.B.S
Okay, to be honest- I felt a bit bad about the doctor even when I watched the movie for the first time- a gang leader forcibly gets admission in your hospital, appoints dancers in the hospital wards in the name of ‘treatment’, and even wants to marry your daughter- which sane man would agree with it all? If it wasn’t Sanjay Dutt, would also side with this local hooligan’s ways?
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6. Meera (Diana Penty) | Cocktail
Meera was a reserved and shy girl who found her best buddy and soulmate in Veronica. And, while, both the women were very compatible, compassionate, and understanding towards each other- one single over-hyped man caused a rift between the two. Meera got unnecessary hate for taking away Veronica’s man. The truth was- Gautam was the undeserving brat- both women should’ve left him and kept living on as besties until they found the right partners. Peace out.
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7. Coach Pramod Kadam (Girish Kulkarni) | Dangal
Coach Pramod Kadam wasn’t a fictional character but rather inspired by a real person- the coach at the National Sports Academy. While the real-life coach felt that the movie was misleading- we also think that the coach was not at fault for teaching the Phogat sisters international match tricks. Their father should’ve stepped back and watched their daughters grow in the academy.
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8. Narayan Shankar (Amitabh Bachchan) | Mohabbatein
Narayan Shankar was a strict school principal who wanted his students to pay attention to their studies as long as they were on the college premises. And, he also wanted to look out for his daughter. But, of course- SRK’s charm is just so blinding!
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9. Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) | Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Alizeh was a bold, beautiful, and jolly woman who was clear from the start about her friendship with his best buddy, and she also got cheated on by the same man twice and had to suffer through cancer, and heartbreak at the same time- still got a lot of hate for rejecting the male lead. We need to cut her some slack.
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10. Zoya (Sonam Kapoor) | Raanjhana
Stalking culture is oftentimes misrepresented as romance in Bollywood movies. So, when a small-town boy fantasizes about a girl from his school and keeps stalking him- even after many years have passed and now she has a boyfriend- it is not romantic at all! He even goes on to rat out her boyfriend and he eventually gets killed. And, all this while- she was clear that she was only his ‘friend’ and nothing more. We apologize Zoya for hating on you when it wasn’t your fault.
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11. Subodh (Asad Dadarkar) | Dil Chahta Hai
Subodh aka Time Table is undoubtedly one of the fondest side characters from the movie ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. And, although, he was shown as an annoyingly funny man in the movie- over the years, people started liking him and sympathizing with him. He respects his woman’s personal space, remembers tiny details about her, plans dates with her, and values time- isn’t he a green flag?
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12. Kuljeet (Parmit Sethi) | Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Kujeet was a macho man- a Punjabi munda who liked to hunt and go on jeep rides with his buddies. But, Raj was also the same, don’t you think? And, the only difference was that while Kuljeet was having an arranged marriage with the girl his parents chose- Raj was in love with Simran. So, why should Kuljeet get humiliated by Simran’s NRI boyfriend? Petition to not see Kuljeet in a bad light!
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Are there some of more most misunderstood Bollywood movie characters that you have seen and felt bad for?