Indian cinema’s iconic avenging angels

Some of the avengers in Bollywood’s movies are worth a mention, giving them historical, long screen lives

The sequel of ‘Ghayal’ will hit us in less than 10 and Ajay Mehra will be back once again. My mind has been thinking about some of our most iconic avenging angels. Some of them are so awe-inspiring that at some point of time in life we wanted to follow their ways. Here have a look at these men of fiction; they never existed but their long screen life has made them almost real historic figures.

Thakur Baldev Singh – This man is clearly the big daddy of all avengers ever. A man who has lost his family and his hands because of a slimy, powerful and ruthless nemesis called Gabbar, sets out on one of our most endearing stories of revenge ever. Sanjeev Kumar nailed the role of the upright hurt Thakur.

Inspector Vijay Khanna – Ok, before Rahul, this was Bollywood’s guaranteed money spinning name. It all started with Inspector Vijay Khanna in ‘Zanjeer’ and it lead to Amitabh’s branding as Vijay across 70s. A child witnesses a man killing his parents hidden in a cupboard. The memories give the man nightmares from his childhood till youth.

So much so that he becomes a brooding loner. One fine day he finds out that Dharamdas Teja murdered his parents and kills him putting rest to his bad dreams for ever. Shradhdha – “Mera hi yamraj mujh se maut maang raha hai, wonderful, I like it” – this dialogue raised catcalls in the 1980s. Released in 1981 ‘Shradhanjali’ was an unexpected sleeper hit.

Rakhi played Shradhdha, a woman repeatedly shortchanged by destiny till she finds bliss in a rich industrialist’s true love, who is then murdered by Suresh Oberoi. Shradhdha for the time being prefers to give good upbringing to her younger son. But still seeks revenge. She finally does get the man. This was Rakhi’s best and probably Indian cinema’s best ever female avenger.

David – A bearded, slightly hunched old Christian man is released from jail after 24 years of prison. Aakhiri Raasta’s “David” was pure cold fury. Not even his own son, a law abiding cop could stop him from getting the men who were responsible years ago for his wife’s rape and suicide.

This avenger spoke about his quest with such conviction he could otherwise have been a preacher. ‘Aakhiri Raasta’s David, remains one of the top most performances of Amitabh. Vijay Verma – This one was a punisher with tragedy written on his forehead and arm too.

A boy, who gets caught in union politics, has to pay the heaviest price for his father’s heroism. “Mera baap chor hai” is without doubt Indian cinema’s biggest avenger symbol tattoo; it created more impact than the ‘S’ which Superman has on his chest in India of 1970s.

This avenger, when he is rich, his mom and brother desert him. When he finds true love and his lady love is murdered by a rival gang. He finally dies in his mother’s arm shot by own brother. This system-hating avenger is worth his weight in gold.

Ajay Mehra – The purists might scoff at this one, but it changed the way cinema was made in 1990s. The happy-go-lucky boxer transforms into an obsessed avenger. Aided by the three other prisoners, they escape from the jail and start his journey of devastation.

He calls Balwant Rai and tells him he has no more than 24 hours to live. That, ladies and gentlemen, remains the most smashing 24 hours of thrilling start of a revenge, which leaves every single evil man around Balwant Rai dead and a city comes to a standstill.