

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.

This book is next to my heart ... it’s a fascinating book
Shekar Gupta
The Print
Pure Evil is among the most discussed books on Hindi cinema this year
Avijit Ghosh
Times of India
Each interaction (with actors, writers and directors)
brought Balaji rich insights and a wealth of anecdotes
to pour into this book
Chintan Girish Modi
News9Live
It is highly recommended for Bollywood fans
and students of Hindi cinema
Prof. Milind Damle
FIPRESCI India
I shan't be a spoiler by adding anything!
Go buy the book to get a clear fascinating look of how,
when & why ...
Monojit Lahiri
National Herald
I totally enjoyed Pure Evil. Be warned, though, it is a ticket to a den of vice!
Sriram Raghavan
Film Maker
I would not (only) like to congratulate him (Balaji), I would like to salute him
Raza Murad
Actor
Balaji's magnificent research
gives the reader a platform to look at the evil men of Hindi cinema differently

Vittal has penned much more than a book on villainy.
Pure Evil is also a reflection of the socioeconomic transformation
that India went through the decades ...