Pure Evil : The Bad Men of Bollywood

Sholay (1975): Gabbar chops off Thakur's arms with a sword in each hand. Karz (1980): Kamini murders her husband by ramming him repeatedly with a jeep. Mr India (1987): Mogambo kills hundreds of innocent citizens. No, you don't want to meet these Bollywood baddies in a dark alley; you may not escape with your life if you do. In Pure Evil, Balaji Vittal examines, in delicious detail, the misdeeds of the gangster, the sly relative, the corrupt policeman, the psychopathic killer... A rollercoaster ride, looking at the changing face of the Hindi film villain.

Balaji Vittal is the co-author (with Anirudha Bhattacharjee) of R.D. Burman: The Man, The Music, which won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema (2011), Gaata Rahe Mera Dil: 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs, which won the MAMI Award for Best Book on Cinema (2015), and the highly acclaimed S.D. Burman: The Prince-Musician.