As Arshad Warsi turns 50, here are his 5 BEST roles!

Arshad Warsi, who turns 50 today, is an untapped talent that explodes like a volcano, if given the right film and the right character. He’s isn’t just an actor, though, he’s been a choreographer and an assistant director. It was never easy for Arshad to comfortably adjust himself in this claustrophobic profession, and survive without any lineage or Kanagana Ranaut’s favourite word, Nepotism. But after successfully completing 22 years in the industry, we can say the wait and the struggle were absolutely worth it.

So as the actor turns 50 today, we turn to his 5 best characters that he immortalized:-

1. Circuit- Munnabhai MBBS (2003) & Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006)

Seldom do we see protégés in scene-stealing roles, but Arshad Warsi not only made Circuit a character for the ages, but also fortified his declining career. Straight out of the typicalities of the Mumbai city, Circuit, although a local goon, called himself a social worker and devotedly obeyed the orders of his boss, Munna. It’s a pity if you are unaware of the fictional existence of this character.

2. Babban- Ishqiya (2010) and Dedh Ishqiya (2014)

Babban and his partner-in-crime, Khalujan (The infallible Naseeruddin Shah) were like chalk and cheese. Even though they both stemmed from the world of criminality, their traits were pillars apart. If Khalujan was poised, cerebral and had certain stillness about his persona, Babban was filthy, loud and completely lecherous. Arshad’s Babban was a refreshing breath of fresh air for the multiplexes and a complete hoot for the single-screens, and the actor played the character to the gallery to illicit some really hard laughs. What a shame the sequel never really got its due!

3. Baalu Shastri- Tere Mere Sapne (1996)

Given that millions of aspiring actors dream of glittering like gold on the celluloid, there could not have been a better movie title for Arshad’s movie debut than Tere Mere Sapne. Produced by Amitabh Bachchan, the film saw Arshad in the role of a flamboyant taxi-driver, Baalu Shastri, who dreams of a rich, wealthy lifestyle. His character’s aspirations echoed the desires of thousands of underprivileged people in the big, busting city of Mumbai and that’s exactly why the character succeeded.

4. Jagdish Tyagi- Jolly LLB (2013)

Jagdish Tyagi, from Meerut’s law college, was everything a lawyer shouldn’t be. He was gullible, naïve, didn’t know how to spell Affidavit and spelled Appeal as Apple in his PIL. Yet, his ordinariness was completely relatable and his greed totally despicable and the reason for such drastic emotions was Arshad’s sincerity towards his part. He was the first choice for Jolly LLB 2 as well, but the marketing team wanted a bigger star in the sequel, as said by Arshad himself in an interview, thus highlighting the money-mindedness of the business. Sad!

5. Ajay Kumar- Sehar (2005)

His breakout character came in the highly highly underrated cop drama, Sehar, directed magnificently by Kabeer Kaushik. Donning the role of SSP Ajay Kumar, the film and Arshad Warsi, both sucked you in its drama and left a major lasting impression. Before the Singhams and the Chulbul Pandeys, there was SSP Ajay Kumar as well, whose bravery, fearlessness and sacrifice were never talked about.

Currently shooting for Total Dhamaal, the third part of the Dhamaal franchise, here’s hoping Arshad Warsi continues to entertain us with his superlative performances.

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