I like it when we can address and solve these complicated issues, just in case someone from the Indian film industry needs help with these questions and stumbles across DCIB.
This came up when Procrastinatrix and I were discussing casting for a remake of Valley Girl. Is there a young actor in Hindi film who can do a solid “smolder”?
When I say, “smolder”, I mean like this:
Or this:
Or this:
Or this:
Or this:
Not this:
Or this:
And definitely not this:
Okay, who (if anyone) is capable of playing a young smoldering rebel type role in Indian film today? Not allowed to pick anyone of the ones I listed, too old.
dontcallitbollywood 
Could ARK smolder? Does he even count as young?
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To the gif search!
Hmm. I think it is right on the edge.
[image: image.png]
On Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 9:16 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Just nominated Vicky in the other post. I think he did some solid smoldering in Manmarziyan, and even in Raazi for a moment there.
Fawad is hands down the smoldering heir apparent, but he’s not in Hindi film now, so…
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Nah, Fawad is too old for what I’m thinking. I want like troubled young gang member, or troubled young rich boy, kind of smoldering. Who can do that bad boy kind of smolder?
On Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 10:29 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Can’t find gifs of that intense Manmarziyan scene, but I feel like this counts as a smolder.
https://78.media.tumblr.com/97009ae74b2932b260cbd27e46502e43/tumblr_pdon282PBB1uejcvjo9_r1_250.gif?w=605&ssl=1
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I think so. Kind of am mild one, but there is promise there.
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Sharwanand,but very specifically in his Padi Padi Leche Manasu look.
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-63187387%2Cimgsize-98857%2Cwidth-800%2Cheight-600%2Cresizemode-4%2F63187387.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Ftelugu%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2Fpadi-padi-leche-manasu-first-look-released-on-sharwanands-birthday%2Farticleshow%2F63187340.cms&docid=9o-BdLJEwJgEJM&tbnid=d1el-3GlJlWEXM&vet=1&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim
Or this
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.indianexpress.com%2F2019%2F08%2Franarangam-theatrical-trailer-759.jpeg%3Fw%3D759&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Findianexpress.com%2Farticle%2Fentertainment%2Ftelugu%2Franarangam-trailer-sharwanand-gangster-drama-looks-intense-5878984%2F&docid=TiHMxEwRUMWfMM&tbnid=hG1ZbU-5cVvi4M%3A&vet=1&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim
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I tried to post the image and it came out like this😒
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Try this:
And yes, he is quite smoldering! So long as he has the looser hair and the facial hair.
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I feel like rewatching Padi Padi.. now
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I too thought of Sharwa, but from Prasthanam movie. Just Google “Sharwanad Prasthanam”
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Sharwanand- but very specifically in his Padi Padi Leche Manasu or Ranarangam looks.
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100% agree with Sharwanand in Padi Padi Leche Manasu!
And Vijay Devarakonda of course:
I think also Aditya Seal could do this.
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I don’t know, I think that poster is more “on fire” than “smoldering”. But Arjun Reddy and Dear Comrade are definitely smoldering.
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And what do you think about Aditya Seal? Is he too old? He plays those rich characters usually, but I think in the right role he can be great.
Ali Fazal trying to be Amitabh Bachchan cool:
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Oh right, he was the bad guy in SOTY2! I think he an smolder, with the right hair.
I refuse to believe that Ali Faizal could ever smolder.
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 4:57 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Vijay is perpetually smoldering,so I want him to smolder less and do something else,for a change.
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Yeah, I was disappointed when I saw World Famous Lover poster because it looks like Arjun Reddy 2.
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I agree on Vicky. Only other one I can think of is Harsh. Maaaaybe Ayushmann if given the right part.
Jim Sarbh and Ranveer if they still count as young.
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Oooo, Harsh! Yes, definitely can do the smolder. And his father never could, fascinating how genetics work.
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 7:24 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Sid in Ek Villain and Arjun Kapoor in Tevar had some smolder going on.
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Some, but I think not a lot. Sid really struggles with the smolder. Arjun in Aurangzeb though, now THAT was smoldering!
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 8:37 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Vicky can definitely smolder. Even though he’s been cast as the baddie (except in Chhichore), I think Tahir Raj Bhasin could do smolder well given the right role. And my long lost Harshvardhan Rane could definitely do it well. Arjun Kapoor very briefly in his now dying career had great smolder. ARK could potentially have it though in that Great Expectations thing it was really cheesy. I actually don’t think Ranveer has a great smolder…he may be sexy, but there’s always that moment where it looks like he’s about to break into laughter or do something ridiculous. Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Rampal are too old, but I always liked their smolder.
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Oh, and Ayushmann couldn’t smolder if his life depended on it. I’d like for him to prove me different but he’ll never be able to break the boy next door vibe for me.
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He almost managed it in Andadhun, but that came off more as “boy next door is a sociopath” to me than “boy next door is tormented and dangerous”.
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 9:19 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Arjun R. is interesting, because the smolder came to him late. In his early movies I always felt like he came off as dopey more than tormented. But then after 35, BAM! All kinds of darkness.
I think ARK could do well in a really dark troubled kind of role. He brought such sadness to his YJHD character, but it never really went dark. Maybe Sadak 2 will give us a chance to see that ARK.
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 9:12 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Older Smoulder – Arjun Kapoor
See ishaqzaade, Half GF, sometimes in 2 states
Even in interviews he has RSF = resting smoulder face
Current Smoulder – Vijay Deverakonda
See arjun sexy whoops I mean ready whoops i mean reddy
Young hindi smoulder potential – Ishaan Khattar
See Beyond the Clouds
Young regional smoulder potential –
The boy from Sairat
See : Lust Stories, the radhika apte segment
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Also on sairat itself, he sexy-smoulders quite a bit, so I think he could translate to gangsta-smoulder too.
On the parallel side, I nominate Pankaj Tripathi & Vijay Verma for gangsta smoulder with a nod to Vikrant Massey for sexy smoulder.
Agree with an earlier comment that Fawad Khan is the current king of the sexy smoulder, esp in humsafar, but even in ADHM.
2000s smoulder = Abhishek Bachchan, which he resurrected for Manmarziyaan in spades.
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Oh yeah, Abhishek in Sarkar and Yuva and a little bit Dhoom? That was gooooooood smolder. The whole “tall guy ducking his head and leaning to gaze at you” thing? Very nice.
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 11:06 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ishaan’s brother is one of my favorite smolderers, so that bodes well for his future. Agree about Arjun K, but I feel like he has been leaning away from that more and more.
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 10:56 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Margaret, does ram come under that category?
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Ok, I know you are doing ‘young’ but who can resist Shah Rukh’s slow burn look? One random pic from countless others over the years. (I just include the link, right?)
https://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinkvilla.com%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fld-image%2Fpublic%2Fsrkfan.JPG&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinkvilla.com%2Fentertainmenttags%2Fshahrukh-khan%2Fshah-rukh-khan-look-testing-fan&docid=HrxVyFbsUz9PpM&tbnid=N9nK_4ke7S2YFM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwio09rauOrkAhXf7XMBHcIrA1cQMwhiKA8wDw..i&w=700&h=803&bih=742&biw=1483&q=srk%20intense&ved=0ahUKEwio09rauOrkAhXf7XMBHcIrA1cQMwhiKA8wDw&iact=mrc&uact=8u
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The trick is, you have to include the link to the image, not just the search result. Here you go:
https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainmenttags/shahrukh-khan/shah-rukh-khan-look-testing-fan
And now I am thinking, maybe we need to work at this harder, separate “smoldering” versus “on fire”
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 5:00 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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The other Harsh, Harshvardhan Rane, also has a bit of smolder. https://www.youngisthan.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/harshvardhan-rane.jpg
and https://aayamaza.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Sanam-Teri-Kasam-Movie-Still-Harshvardhan-Rane-Mawra-Hocane-6.jpg
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True! Maybe it’s just something about the name Harsh?
On Tue, Sep 24, 2019 at 7:06 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I like Aditya’s smolder…and Ranveer comes close, but none of them have their elders talents.
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