Bollywood films are often questioned for their casting and character arcs, where actors do not fit the character, or well, do not have a substantial role. But, there have been times where objects and animals outshined the ‘heroes’ – we’re thankful for THEIR casting.
And, they had more to offer than a lot of lead characters in Bollywood films:
1. Bagwati from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
How can we talk of objects in films and not mention Bagwati – the €12,000, Hermes Kelly handbag that Arjun buys for Kabir’s fiancé? After all, she had an important story arc in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. She was also a better travel companion than Avi in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani – she didn’t complain and was actually helpful. I mean, she got Imran and Laila talking. And, let’s just face it, a lot of comic relief in the film was brought to us through her.
2. Pluto from Dil Dhadakne Do
We’ve seen a lot of pets in films, but Pluto from Dil Dhadakne Do is one of a kind. He had more substance than Ranveer Singh’s character had to offer, and honestly more wisdom than all characters combined. He actually played cupid for Kabir-Farah and Ayesha-Sunny. To be honest, the film wouldn’t have been the same without his narration and the constant commentary on our society (or the Mehras).
3. Jal from Vivah
If we come to think of it, Jal was the actual hero in the film. Because, it led to Amrita Rao having more dialogues than Sooraj Barjatya intended to give. Oh, and we ended up with a meme trend – clearly Jal had more personality than the film’s lead characters. It was also a better matchmaker than Sima Taparia, with a better track record of getting the ‘rishta pakka’.
4. Tuffy from Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!
Tuffy was an important character to a lot of plot points in the film. From umpiring a match of unskilled players to getting Nisha and Prem together, he carried a lot more burden than Salman Khan in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He even managed to make it to Koffee With Karan’s rapid fire questions, and that speaks volumes.
5. Remote Control from PK
When PK lands on Earth in the film, his Remote Control takes control over the plot. It is how PK ends up learning and unlearning about religion in the country. The Remote Controls gets us the needed conflict and ends up in the right place – ironically with Tapasvi. And all of this leads to Jaggu and Sarfaraz getting back together. The Remote Control did too much without doing anything (because well, it’s an object).
6. Puffi from Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
While being Amit’s best friend, Puffi was also a perfect pet. He first got Aditi and Amit to talking in a scene that reminded Aditi of their friendship. Additionally, Puffi also knew exactly when to hide or run away, which somewhat got Amit closer to Jai. And, he kind of reminded me of Stuart Little. I mean, he would totally rock a Hindi remake.
7. Entertainment from Entertainment
We know a character is important when the film is named after him. Entertainment was perhaps the only entertaining factor in the film. He was also a better actor than most of the film’s cast. Not to forget, he had a pretty important arc in the film – where Akhil’s father had pledged his entire wealth in the dog’s name. Oh, and he’s pretty talented, which made the film somewhat bearable.
8. Raja Tota from Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon
Raja Tota was the most integral part of Sooraj Barjatya’s family in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon – the director said it himself. While Prem constantly tries to be the funny one, it’s actually Raja Tota who steals the show. He also made a lot more sense than Sanjana’s mother in the film. And, despite the badly done CGI, his personality was always intact.
We do have good actors.