'Raktanchal 3' Actor Nikitin Dheer Opens Up About Typecasting and Playing Villains
Actor Nikitin Dheer, who once aspired to be a hero, has now established himself in negative roles and plays a villain in 'Raktanchal 3' as well.
Nikitin Dheer has aspirations to be a hero but now dons the negative characters with ease. According to him, the villains of today are different from the past. In the web series of MX Player known as Raktanchal 3, he takes up the villainous role and is now popular with such villains. Since the movies he played such villains in turned out to be a success, he earned the nickname of villain.
"While playing a hero is arguably a bit easier than playing a villain, to be honest, I too entered the film industry with the intention of becoming a hero. I learned to dance and built a physique. The heroes of that era were John Abraham and Arjun Rampal; they were tall and well-built, so I felt I could make it as a hero too. However, my first film got stalled. When I played a villain, it became a hit, and I got typecast in that mold.
Many seniors told me that if legends like Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha could play villains, I should keep my hopes up. Once you get trapped in the persona of a specific character, it is very difficult to break free. I eventually accepted that the villain role was the right path for me. If I could achieve even a fraction of what legends like Pran 'saab' or Amrish Puri 'saab' did, that would be enough. However, villain roles aren't written that way anymore.
Villains in the past used to sing songs too; for instance, tracks like 'Gajar Ne Kiya Hai Ishara' were filmed featuring Amrish Puri. The entire story used to revolve around them, but that isn't the case today. That old era needs to make a comeback." South Indian cinema reserves a special place for villains, which is why they remain memorable. In Hindi cinema, however, a single actor often ends up doing everything; it shouldn't be the case that one actor delivers all the dialogues and punchlines.
About 20–25 years ago, we used to have distinct roles for villains, comedians, and various other characters. Back then, producers believed in their films and invested their own money. Now, with corporate culture, something worth ten rupees is often produced at a cost of a thousand rupees.
Nikitin says that his next character is also dark-set against a Bihari backdrop-and that the role stays confined to the set, existing only between 'action' and 'cut'. These characters are so far removed from our own lives that there is no need to inhabit them anywhere other than the set. I believe that no matter how dark a role is, one must preserve one's inner light. Portraying such characters helps you understand yourself better; as an artist, you can only grow by playing roles that are distinct from your own personality.
'Raktanchal 3' was shot in Varanasi. Nikitin mentions that during the shoot, he explored the city's narrow lanes thoroughly and also visited the temples.
