Kulbhushan Kharbanda: An actor who crossed five generations of cinema, giving a new form to villainy in every era.

New Delhi, October 20 (IANS). Actor Kulbhushan Kharbanda made a mark in the hearts of the audience with the character of Shakal in the Bollywood film ‘Shaan’. In this film released in 1980, he played the character of a villain who lives on a private island. The character was directly inspired by James Bond villain ‘Blofeld’ and Kulbhushan Kharbanda changed his entire look for it. His role was so explosive in commercial films that it changed the entire definition of villains. After almost 38 years, Kulbhushan Kharbanda has appeared as ‘Bauji’, the mature lead of the web series ‘Mirzapur’, who is full of power hunger and moral decay. It is his journey between two opposite poles that is most interesting. Kulbhushan Kharbanda’s journey, which began in 1974, spans over five decades, spanning from the gritty theater of Delhi to the subtlety of Shyam Benegal’s ‘parallel cinema’, the glamor of Ramesh Sippy’s commercial masala films and the reality of OTT dramas of today’s digital age. Kharbanda’s greatest strength is its immense versatility. He could play an ‘art film’ farmer and a ‘blockbuster’ stylish villain at the same time. It was his theatre-born discipline that established him as an ‘actor’s actor’, elevating him from the traditional Bollywood hero-villain trope. Kulbhushan Kharbanda was born on 21 October 1944 in Hasan Abdal, Punjab (now Pakistan), British India. He was educated at Aligarh Muslim University, Delhi University and Kirori Mal College, where he was an active part of the dramatic society. In the 1960s, he began his acting career in the Delhi theater circuit. Here he co-founded ‘Abhiyan’ and later joined the prestigious ‘Yatrik’ group. A turning point in his career was that he became the first actor in ‘Yatrik’ to be paid for acting. It was not just a hobby, but his determination to pursue acting as a full-time professional career. In 1972, on the advice of theater veteran Shyamanand Jalan, he moved to Kolkata and joined his Hindi theater group ‘Padatik’. During this period, he worked in plays like ‘Gidhaare’ and especially ‘Sakharam Binder’, which continued till 1995. It was this rigorous stage training that gave him the technical mastery to play several complex roles simultaneously. Kharbanda entered films in 1974. His first major recognition was with director Shyam Benegal. He soon became a regular sight in Benegal’s parallel cinema movement. He has worked in Benegal’s classic films like Nishant, Manthan, Bhumika, Junoon and Kalyug. These characters required restraint, subtlety and authenticity, for which his theater experience laid a strong foundation. This artistic credibility gained from parallel films always kept him at the top of the ‘actor’ category, which meant that even after commercial success, he was never limited to just a villain. The commercial success of ‘Shaan’ gave Kharbanda the freedom and financial leverage to continue choosing complex, character-driven projects. In 1982, he played con man Inder Malhotra in Mahesh Bhatt’s acclaimed ‘Arth’. The role of ‘Inder’ was filled with emotional restraint, psychological depth and moral ambiguity, a stark contrast to the stylistic evil of ‘Shakaal’. In the 1980s and 1990s, he worked in major commercial films such as Shakti, Ghayal, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and Damini, while maintaining artistic involvement through films such as Waris and Mira Nair’s internationally acclaimed Monsoon Wedding. Her central roles in Deepa Mehta’s ‘Elements Trilogy’ (Fire, Earth and Water) strengthened her worldwide recognition. Playing important roles in Raja Puran Singh and Jodhaa Akbar in Lagaan, he has proven that he has the ability to make his mark in grand epic narratives as well. Even in the latter stages of his career, Kharbanda successfully adapted to the change that came with the advent of digital streaming platforms. These platforms often prioritize serious, character-driven narratives, similar to the parallel cinema of the 1970s. He is an actor who even in 2025 is starring in major Netflix releases such as ‘Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins’. –IANS VKU/VC