11 Unconventional Heroes Who Proved That Looks Don't Matter

Many don’t know that actor Naseer got rejected for his lean frame and long nose before he joined NSD or made his Bollywood screen debut in ‘Nishant’. He just didn’t fit the bill of a hero, what he got were rejections or a few character roles before getting noticed in arty or parallel cinema in the late 70’s and 80’s. ‘Masoom’, ‘Katha’ and ‘Tridev’ got him noticed in mainstream Hindi cinema where he got accepted as the lead. Now days, he plays characters and leads which suit his age.

With a spotted face and unconventional looks who ever though that Om Puri would go international and bag a gamut of awards. Starting off with Shyam Benegal’s ‘Nishant’, he too played the downtrodden Indian role to the boot till ‘Ardh Satya’ came his way. He did quite a few hero based roles as his brilliant acting and sharp voice helped him get noticed. The actor is currently seen playing elderly character roles in films.

Another brilliant actor who started off by playing bit roles and villainous characters in films before playing the lead in a few arty films like ‘Ankush’, ‘Disha’ and ‘Prahaar’. With bearded looks and accent of a typical ‘Marathi Maanus’, he hit big time when he played the lead in an out and out masala film, ‘Krantiveer’ which fetched him that year’s Filmfare award for Best Actor. Since then he has played quite a few leads in films like ‘Kohram’, ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’, ‘Taxi No.9211’, ‘The Attacks of 26/11’, etc.

Another ordinary looking small town man from NSD who made his screen debut by playing character roles in films like ‘Drohkaal’, ‘Bandit Queen’, ‘Tamanna’ and ‘Daud’. It was Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Satya’ where he played Bhiku Mhatre which helped him get offers to play the lead in films like ‘Shool’, ‘Ghaath’, Gangs of Wasseypur 1’ and ‘Aligarh’.

With a 5 feet something frame, a face full of acne and a shrilled voice, Pankaj Kapur was never meant to be the typical Bollywood hero but his brilliant acting and comic timing were enough to make filmmakers take notice of him. The actor par excellence started off by doing a few character roles in films ‘Gandhi’, ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ and ‘Mandi’. Though he played the second lead in Vinod Chopra’s ‘Khamosh’ but films like ‘Ek Doctor Ki Maut’, ‘Maqbool’ and ‘Dharm’ proved that he was hero material too.

With typical middle-class looks and a lean frame, Kay Kay Menon could be easily mistaken for an employee working in a government office. One of the most ‘underrated’ actors of Bollywood, Kay Kay made his screen debut in the 1995 film ‘Naseem’. Films like ‘Black Friday’, ‘Shaurya’, ‘Gulaal’, ‘Sankat City’ did give him opportunities to play the lead but somehow luck has been evading him. But he is someone who deserves more.

Nawazuddin, a small town actor with ordinary looks, took a while before he could make it count. After making a ‘blink and a miss’ appearance in Aamir Khan’s ‘Sarfarosh’ in 1999, it took him a few more unnoticed performances before he hit big time in his career. His lead role in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur 2’, ‘Badlapur’, ‘Manjhi- The Mountain Man’ and ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ is ample proof that he is here to stay.

No one could ever guess that this rugged looking guy who played miniscule roles for nearly a decade would suddenly become a hot favorite. Irrfan’s journey as an actor is something which can be made into a film. The unconventional looking actor has probably done every role that a versatile actor can think of. ‘The Warriior’ film saw the actor playing the lead for the first time. Since then he has done ‘Billu’, ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Piku’ and ‘Jazbaa’.

From a small time TV anchor to an actor to reckon with, the simpleton actor has come a long way since making his screen debut in ‘Bombay Boys’ in 1998. His lead act in ‘Bheja Fry’ which proved his impeccable comic timing helped him bag similar roles. Some of his memorable performances as lead are ‘Dasvidaniya’, ‘Oh! My God’, ‘Chalo Dilli’, ‘Pappu Can’t Dance Saala’ and ‘Gour Hari Dastaan’.

Ranvir was known as the 9 to 5 job guy who initially started off as a TV anchor before shifting focus to films. He’s one of the most gifted actors who began his Bollywood journey by playing supporting roles in ‘Pyaar Ke Side Effects’, ‘Khosla ka Ghosla’ and ‘Bheja Fry’. He later graduated to lead roles in ‘Mithya’, ’Fatso’, and ‘Titli’. Many feel that his best is yet to come.

Known for his ‘boy next door’ looks, Rajkummar Rao made his debut in the critically acclaimed Dibakar Banerji film, ‘Love, Sex aur Dhokha’. Things changed when got to play a small role alongside Aamir Khan in ‘Talaash’. Thereafter, he got to play lead roles in ‘Shahid’ , ‘Queen’ and ‘Citylights’. He is yet to get his due as an actor.