A comprehensive account of the overlooked dimensions of villainy in Indian Cinema. The book crafts an ode to the talented actors who set new trends with their on-screen wickedness, the menacing looks, the evil grins and the venomous one liners...the book offers a refreshing insight...the book is extensively researched, well organised and, a much-needed contribution to the ongoing scholarship in the field of film, media and cultural studies. -- The Tribune
An interesting book devoted entirely to bollywoods villain and vamps, magnificently mean personalities...Tapan K. Ghosh had the delightful task of putting together this rogues gallery of Hindi cinema, and has done a thorough job of going over the list of baddies from the early days right upto Agneepath...Ghoshs research cannot be faulted and he scores when he places the villains of each period within their proper socio-political framework. -- Hindustan Times
One of the most satisfying reads on Hindi cinema in a long time.... if you enjoy Hindi films, have grown up watching them and enjoy reading a good piece of work about them, this book is for you.
-- The Business Standard, 16 May 2013
[The book] minutely documents the evils that have garnered so much attention in the film industry.... Ghoshs book convincingly bears the notion of detailed planning...this is one of the very few good attempts to immortalise those bad boys who have done good to Indian cinema.
-- The Statesman, 31 March 2013
This passionately written history of screen villainy could inspire further research opening up the floor for a debate on the meaningful role of evil in popular hindi cinema as well in the academic discourse...both an informative and foremost entertaining read...presents many ingenious analytical details and smaller these along with a historical outline...a compact read but well-laid table of cinematic moments to feast on.... With his passionate writing style Tapan K Ghosh refreshes our memory of many great moments of screen villainy and rightfully celebrates bollywoods baddies as agents of immense cinematic pleasure.
-- South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal