By Hemant SharmaFilms are not complete without antagonists ranged against protagonists. Even though heroes and heroines get the most limelight, the evil characters or villains have their own importance. In fact, there are numerous films where the villains have overshadowed even the lead characters. South Indian movies are replete with the bad guys who have left a strong impression on the minds of the audience. Talented actors in villainous roles have elevated the cinematic experience and hugely contributed to the popularity of South Indian cinema. The most recent highly popular villains that come to the mind are Bhalladeva in Bahubali and SP Bhanwar Shekhawat in Pushpa. Some actors have become synonymous with villains on the back of their talent to play evil with finesse. Let’s have a look at the top 10 most dangerous villains in South Indian cinema for the year 2025.
1 Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj is the most recognised villain face in South Indian cinema. In fact, he is the highest paid villain in the South Indian film industry. With over 400 films to his credit, he has appeared in movies across languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English. The actor has numerous awards in his kitty, including six Filmfare Awards South and five National Film Awards.
Prakash Raj made his acting debut in 1994 with the Tamil movie Duet. Some of his notable movies are Iruvar, Antahpuram, Puttakkana Highway, Wanted, Singham and Dabangg 2.
2. Jagapathi Babu
Jagapathi Babu has spent a decade playing the role of a villain in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinema. He has starred in 170 films so far. The actor has won several awards, including four Filmfare Awards and seven Nandi Awards. Babu is known for striking terror in the hearts of the audience with his facial expressions.
Jagapathi Babu debuted in the year 1989 with the Telugu movie Simha Swapnam. He first played the role of an antagonist in the 2014 Telugu movie Legend. Since then he has played negative roles in multiple movies, including Linga, Jaguar, Saalar and Pushpa 2.
3. Nassar
Nassar is a prominent villain of South Indian cinema. He is famous for playing the role of an antagonist in Telugu, Kannada and Tamil movies. Apart from being an actor, he is also a director, producer, singer, dubbing artist and politician. Nassar is the current president of the South Indian Artiste’s Association.
Nassar first appeared in a villainous role in the 1987 Tamil movie Velaikaran. Some of his notable films are Roja, Bombay, Iruvar, Bahubali: The Beginning, Bahubali 2: The Conclusion, Ponnyin Selvan 1 and Ponnyin Selvan 2.
4. Kabir Duhan Singh
Kabir Duhan Singh hails from Haryana in North India but has carved a niche for himself as a villain in South Indian cinema. He appears in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films. Singh started his career as a model before venturing into South Indian movies.
Kabir Duhan Singh made his debut in the role of a North Indian antagonist in the 2015 Telugu film Jil, and followed it up with another negative role in the movie Kick 2 which was released in the same year. His other notable films are Vedalam, Dictator and Sardar Gabbar Singh.
5. Sayaji Shinde
Sayaji Shinde is among the most sought-after villains of South Indian cinema. He started his career in Marathi theatre before entering the South Indian film industry. The actor has starred in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Bhojpuri films.
Sayaji Shinde debuted in South Indian cinema in the year 2000 with the Tamil movie Barathi. Some of his notable films are Tagore, Veede, Pokiri, Lakshmi and Double iSmart.
6. Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood has not only established himself in lead roles but also as an onscreen villain. He has played villainous roles across Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi cinema. The actor has won multiple awards for his negative roles, including a Filmfare Award, a Nandi Award, IIFA Award and SIIMA Award.
Sonu Sood first appeared in the role of a villain in the Telugu movie Hands Up, released in the year 2001. He is best known for playing negative roles in Arundhati, Acharya, R…Rajkumar and Dabangg.
7. Ramachandra Raju
Ramachandra Raju mainly appears in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada movies. He shot to fame for his portrayal of the antagonist Garuda Ram in the high grossing Kannada period-action movie KGF: Chapter 1. Thereafter he played negative roles in many other South Indian movies.
Some of the other movies of Ramachandra Raju are Sulthan, Mahasamudran, Rider, Bheemla Nayak, KGF: Chapter 2, Saalar Part 1: Ceasefire and Bagheera. The actor won the Zee Kannada Award for Best Villain for KGF: Chapter 1.
8. Ashish Vidyarthi
Asish Vidyarthi is a well known villain in South Indian movies. He has appeared in over 300 movies across languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali and more. The actor has won several awards, including a Filmfare Award South and a National Film Award.
Ashish Vidyarthi debuted in the year 1993 with the movie Sardar. Some of his notable films are Drohkaal, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi, 1942: A Love Story, Hijack and Madhuri.
9. Pradeep Rawat
Pradeep Rawat is among the most well known villains in South Indian cinema. He primarily works in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. He began his acting career in television by playing the role of Ashwatthama in BR Chopra’s Mahabharata, prior to venturing into films. Rawat has appeared in many South Indian movies like Sye, Ghajini, Parodi, China Town and more.
10. P Ravi Shankar
P Ravi Shankar has the knack to play both ruthless as well as comedic villainous characters. He first played the role of a villain in the 2001 Telugu language film Tholi Valappu. However, he attained fame for playing the role of a gangster in the 2011 Kannada movie Kempe Gowda. Thereafter, he has appeared in many Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movies.
Conclusion
Top villains of South Indian cinema are actors whom the audience loves to hate. They have the talent to bring evil to life on the screen. Naturally they are the most preferred choices for filmmakers to play negative roles.