In Indian cinema and even in Hollywood, we are seeing a big change in how we look at movie villains. Before, villains were just "bad people" who wanted to destroy the world for no reason. But today, writers are creating characters with deep pain and logic. When we watch these movies, sometimes we feel that the villain is actually right from his own point of view.
One character everyone in India talks about is Thanos from the Marvel movies. At first, he looks like a monster, but if you listen to him, his reason is very deep. He says that the world has too many people and not enough food or resources. He saw his own planet die because of this. Even in our real world, we see problems of pollution and crowded cities. So, when Thanos says we need balance, many people "secretly" agree with him, even if his way of fixing it was very extreme.
In Bollywood, a great example is Bhallaladeva from Baahubali. Of course, he was cruel, but if you think about it, he was always the "second choice" despite being very hardworking and strong. His father always told him that he is not good enough compared to Baahubali. Many people in India who feel they are ignored at work or home despite doing all the hard work can understand his anger.
Another very famous villain is the Joker (the one played by Joaquin Phoenix). This movie showed us that a villain is not born; he is made by a society that is very mean to poor and lonely people. When society ignores a person who is suffering, that person eventually breaks. This is a very deep research point because it shows that "evil" is often a reaction to a lack of kindness.
Lastly, we can look at Killmonger from Black Panther. He wanted to help people who were suffering for centuries while his own family was living in luxury and hiding. His anger was based on history and justice.
As an Indian writer, I feel that we agree with these villains not because we like "bad things," but because their pain feels very real. They represent the parts of us that are frustrated with the world's unfair rules. In 2026, a "good" villain is someone who holds a mirror to our own society.
