One of the most sophisticated and stylish villains in Bollywood, Danny Denzongpa is the ultimate baddie who is ruthless and shows no mercy.
While he has always impressed as the bad guy, the FTII alumni has played a wide range of characters, including that of a hero.
In fact, Danny Denzongpa started his filmi career with a tiny role Gulzar’s Mere Apne (1971) that also starred Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha.
The Sikkim-born actor was always considered unconventional in the Hindi film industry.
“In the ’70s, big banners like Gemini and AVM (South) made family dramas. I didn’t fit in. I was told that I neither looked like a father nor a brother – the only part I could get was that of a servant or an outsider,” said Danny.
But, despite initial reservations, filmmakers (and even the audiences) accepted him. Today, Danny Denzongpa is a superstar, at par with the other top actors.
Memorable Performances
Danny has worked in several films, a few memorable ones include.
Agneepath (1990): While Amitabh Bachchan steals the show, Denzongpa plays the stylish villain ‘Kancha Cheena’.
Agneepath (1990): While Amitabh Bachchan steals the show, Denzongpa plays the stylish villain ‘Kancha Cheena’.
Robot – Enthiran (2010): Danny plays a research scientist, of course with a negative shade.
Did you know that Danny Denzongpa lost out on the role of ‘Gabbar Singh’ (Sholay) because he got busy with the filming of Feroz Khan’s Dharmatma (1975).
While a bit disappointed, Danny had revealed that after Sholay the top villains in Bollywood got paid more; and he was the number 2 villain, after Amjad Khan?
Watch: Danny Denzongpa and Asha Bhosle Sing Old Nepali Song ‘Aage Aage Topaiko Gola’
