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Mallika Prasad on Mardaani 3's Amma: Villains Born from Societal Injustice

Actress Mallika Prasad, who plays the antagonist Amma in Mardaani 3, believes villains are often born from systemic injustice and corruption within society. She emphasizes the importance of humanizing a female villain by finding nuances where her humanity shines through. The actress cites iconic villains like Mogambo and Gabbar Singh as memorable larger-than-life characters. The Mardaani 3 film, directed by Abhiraj Minawala, continues the franchise's tradition of tackling dark societal issues.

Key Points: Mallika Prasad on Humanizing Villain Amma in Mardaani 3

  • Villains as products of society
  • Humanizing female antagonists
  • Legacy of Mardaani franchise
  • Larger-than-life iconic villains
2 min read

Mallika Prasad on playing Amma: Even villains are born from everyday injustice

Actress Mallika Prasad discusses playing antagonist Amma in Mardaani 3, exploring how societal injustice creates villains and the challenge of humanizing a female antagonist.

"The unsettling truth is that we live in a society where everyday injustice can create a villain like Amma. - Mallika Prasad"

Mumbai, Feb 1

Actress Mallika Prasad, who plays the antagonist Amma in the upcoming film Mardaani 3, believes that society itself often gives birth to its own villains. Reflecting on her character, the actress said Amma is not evil in isolation but a product of systemic injustice, corruption and exploitation.

"The unsettling truth is that we live in a society where everyday injustice can create a villain like Amma. She is a product of society. She's someone who has had justice taken away from her, and she's working within that system that perpetuates corruption and exploitation," Mallika told IANS.

Talking about iconic antagonists in Indian cinema, the actress said larger-than-life villains have always left a lasting impression on audiences.

"I think larger-than-life villains are always memorable. Off the cuff, the people that come to my mind are Mogambo and Gabbar Singh."

However, Mallika added that portraying a female antagonist came with its own responsibility. According to her, it was important to go beyond theatrics and explore the emotional layers of the character.

"For me, however, because it was a woman villain, it was very important to humanise her and to find ways-smaller nuances-wherein her humanity shines through as well. I think that's also a challenging part when you are playing a larger-than-life villain... how do you find humanity?" she said.

Talking about her latest release "Mardaani 3", the film is directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra. While Mardaani exposed the grim realities of human trafficking and Mardaani 2 explored the disturbing psyche of a serial rapist who challenged the system, Mardaani 3 delves into another dark and brutal reality of our society, further strengthening the franchise's legacy of impactful, issue-based storytelling.

Actress Janaki Bodiwala of Shaitaan fame also enters the Mardaani franchise to play a pivotal role. Mardaani 3 has been written by Aayush Gupta of The Railway Men fame.

The first installment of the Mardaani franchise was released in 2014. It featured Rani, Jisshu Sengupta, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Anant Vidhaat Sharma in supporting roles. The second installment hit the screens in 2019. It was directed by Gopi Puthran. It also stars Vishal Jethwa.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Absolutely agree. Gabbar and Mogambo were iconic because they were pure evil. But today's villains need to be more real, more relatable. It's a sign of mature storytelling when we start questioning the system that creates them. Mardaani series always delivers on this front.
A
Aman W
While I appreciate the intent, sometimes films over-glorify the villain's backstory. Yes, injustice exists, but it doesn't justify becoming a perpetrator. Hope the film makes a clear distinction between explanation and excuse.
S
Shreya B
Female antagonists are so rare in our cinema! It's high time we had complex women characters who aren't just saints or victims. Mallika Prasad is a brilliant choice. Can't wait to see what dark reality Mardaani 3 tackles this time.
D
David E
Interesting perspective. It reminds me of the saying, "A society gets the criminals it deserves." If the system fails people repeatedly, some will take matters into their own hands, for better or worse. The Mardaani franchise does important work by spotlighting these issues.
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Kavya N
Her point about humanising a female villain is spot on. Women in powerful negative roles are often just shown as cunning or seductive. Exploring the emotional layers and the 'why' behind her actions is what will make Amma memorable. All the best to the team! 🤞

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