8 movies where Nawazuddin, Irrfan, Ranvir played lover boys on screen and how they fared at the box office

Let's look at few actors like Irrfan khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Ranvir Shorey who were were known for their character roles, but got promoted as leading men and romanced heroines, and what happened with those films at the box office.

By Sreeju Sudhakaran
| Updated: September 10, 2016 10:44 AM IST

If you take away the dazzle of star kids and their deliciously packaged, but lacking in content films, what's left in Bollywood are some amazing performers who had to struggle for years to get noticed in Bollywood. Also Read - When Katrina Kaif opened up on being friends with Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone after break-up with Ranbir Kapoor

However, for an industry obsessed with Greek god looks, nepotism and fair skin, it's not easy for an outsider to come here an make a mark. Yeah, we had a Shah Rukh Khan or an Akshay Kumar, who are outsiders and rule the roost. But in this era, where every second film launches a star kid (talented or not), we can never expect to have another SRK or an Akhay from this decade. But then we also get some really fantastic actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Irrfan Khan, who at first were seen in supporting roles and even in just a scene or two. Irrfan khan made his debut in Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay, where he played a letter-writer in just one scene (which, I believe, was even deleted in some prints). Everyone knows Nawazuddin Siddiqui had started with a miniscule role in Sarfarosh, and then went on to do more such small roles in films like, Aaja Nachle, Family, Munna Bhai MBBS and others, before he made a mark with New York and Kahaani. Now both of them are leading men in their own right, and are now even romancing mainstream heroines like Deepika Padukone and Amy Jackson respectively. Also Read - Kalki 2989 star cast fees: Prabhas charging 733 percent more than Amitabh Bachchan? Find out

Let's look at few actors who were known for their character roles, but got promoted as leading men and romanced heroines, and what happened with those films at the box office. Also Read - Deepika Padukone's 'Shakti Shetty' represents female power in Rohit Shetty's cop universe

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Freaky Ali

Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be seen in Freaky Ali where he is playing a champion golfer by chance. In a surprising casting, he will be romancing the British beauty Amy Jackson in this Happy Gilmore rip-off. This weekend we will know how the audience will accept their pairing, though we do have some high hopes.

Irrfan Khan in Piku

Irrfan Khan may be a leading man in his own rights these days, even commanding a good opening for his social thriller Madaari, but he did start off in supporting roles. He also did a few mainstream heroines where he did get to romance. In Piku, he was paired with Deepika Padukone. Even though they didn't run around the trees, their chemistry was subtle and effective.

BO verdict: Hit

Manoj Bajpayee in Shool

Like Irrfan and Nawazuddin, even Manoj Bajpayee is a certified leading man who started off with supporting roles in Bandit Queen, Dastak, Daud and Kaun. Shool was his first film as a proper leading man. This hard-hitting cop drama had him paired with Raveena Tandon.

BO verdict: Flop

Ranvir Shorey in Ugly Aur Pagli

After shining in supporting roles in films like Jism, Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Khosla ka Ghosla, Ranvir Shorey was promoted as the leading man in this remake of the Korean film, My Sassy Girl. And he gets to romance none other than Mallika Sherawat in this quirky romcom.

BO verdict: Flop

Rajpal Yadav in Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon

Rajpal yadav started off with miniscule roles in films like Mast, before blowing everyone's minds with his villainous act in Ram Gopal Varma's Jungle. He later played the lead man in Chandan Arora's slice of life drama, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon, opposite Antara Mali, and later in Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh, opposite Rituparna Sengupta.

BO verdict: Both films were flops

Adil Hussain in English Vinglish

Adil Hussain, known for known for his leaked lovemaking scene with Radhika Apte in Parched, is a terrific actor who impressed us in films like Agent Vinod, Life of Pi and Ishqiya. He also played Sridevi's uncaring husband in Gauri Shinde's delightful English Vinglish, who gets a taste of his own medicine at the end of the film.

BO verdict: Hit

Boman Irani in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi

Boman Irani and Farah khan played unlikely leads in this failry enjoyable romcom about 40 something man and women who find love late in life, and yet has to face all the usual drama associated with Ishqwala Love.

BO verdict: Flop

Atul Kulkarni in Chandni Bar

Chandni Bar was a film that made Madhur Bhandarkar the known name that he is today as a film-maker (but we later realised that Chandni Bar became a template he will often use in the rest of his films) and also won tabu her second National award. Marathi actor and theatre veteran Atul Kulkarni, who previously shined in Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram, played a gangster in the film who later becomes the husband of Tabu's bar dancer. But then Chandni Bar is not about happy endings at all, so he gets killed midway in a police encounter.

BO verdict: Hit

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BySreeju Sudhakaran
Updated: September 10, 2016 10:44 AM IST