Birth Anniversary K.N. Singh: Iconic Villain Who Redefined the Hero’s Age Group

K.N. Singh was once very famous as a villain. So when I expressed my wish to be interviewed over phone for the Khalnayak special issue, I got the reply-

'What is the use of interviewing me for this issue? I have almost retired now. The two or three films I am doing are also character roles.'

'You think so, but in our opinion the Villains (K N Singh Bollywood gentleman villain) special issue will remain incomplete without you.'

'Okay, as you wish. Come home the day after tomorrow at half past ten o'clock.'

When I reached K.N.Singh's house, I came to know that sahab was having breakfast. After some time, (K N Singh filmography and bio) when Singh sahab came, he said- "Sorry! I woke up a little late today. You are Parvez, right?"

Even before we could begin the interview, Singh sahab started digging into the past. All those things were very interesting but did not match our topic. He probably understood this and said, 'Okay, you ask, I will keep quiet.'

'When did you start your career as a villain?'

Singh sahab kept thinking for a while and then said- 'Actually I became a full-fledged villain in 1938. But even before that I had done my first villainous role in a Calcutta film 'Anathashram' in 1936. In which I had kidnapped a child. When I came to Bombay in 1938, I did Kardar's film 'Baghban'. The story of that film is very interesting. The villain of that film was a selfish person. Who does not feel the troubles of others. He is unaware of the thing called love. He always talks rudely to others. Because he thinks that if you talk to someone lovingly, (K N Singh Baghban breakthrough role) then the other person will definitely ask for something. Will plead. In those days Yakub Ishwar Lal etc. were popular as villains. I had seen many of their films. When Kardar offered me that film, I said that I will not copy anyone. Because copying cannot last for long. Secondly, if a crow walks wearing peacock feathers, then one feather will fall here and another will fall there. I will show you after rehearsing. If you like it, then it is fine, otherwise you can take someone else. He said okay. Rehearsals began. At that time Kardar's wife Bahar Akhtar was also present there. When I showed him after rehearsing, Kardar sat quietly on his chair. I asked what do you think? He said we did not understand anything. I said- 'Then you take someone else.' On this Bahar Apa said to Kardar- 'Mian ji, you have lost your mind. You have not even seen K.N. Singh's eyes, you are only looking at his body.' Kardar said- 'Okay, if you want to take me, then take me, but I will not come on the set.' Bahar Apa signed me and Kardar did exactly as he said. When I was on the set, he would not go there. The film was completed, released, and became a (K N Singh Awara villain role) hit and did very well in competition with 'Pukar'. And that's how I became a villain. After that one day Yakub came and said- King! You did a great job. I said- I am not King but Singh. He said- King, I will call you King only. I came after watching your movie. I liked it and I also disliked it. I said- first tell me why I disliked it. He said- I have stopped working as a villain from today. I don't know how you have become a villain. You neither smoke nor glare. I will do comedy in your movie. After that we did many movies together in which he did comedy.

'How many films have you done so far as a villain, and what aspect of the villain have you portrayed?'

'I have done two hundred films so far. As far as the role is concerned, I have portrayed every role. I have played a villain who talks to his enemy smilingly. But there is hatred hidden in it. I have also played the role of a secretary of kings and maharajas. I have also played a third class thief, a village ruffian. And I have also played such roles in which the way of speaking (K N Singh Howrah Bridge actor) and gestures itself suggests that he is a villain. Let me tell you one special thing that if the villain takes the help of sentences in acting and action, then reality starts to show in the acting. But if the villain is shown only by hitting, screaming and raping, then he looks artificial. I have learnt this from Harendra Nath Chattopadhyay and Devaki Babu.'

'There was a time when you were unmatched in villainy. But for some time now you are seen less in films, what is the reason for this?'

'The biggest reason for this is age. Actually the villain should also be of the hero's age. Otherwise the role should be such that he is old. Now let me tell you that I played the role of a villain with Randhir Kapoor in Ramanand Sagar's film 'Humrahi'. One day my sister Krishna Raj Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Ramanand Sagar and other members of our family went to watch the film in a cinema hall. Perhaps that day it was the silver jubilee function of the film. In a scene when I hit Dabbu, a spectator (K N Singh actor early life) stood up from behind and called out. 'Singh sahab, is he your grandson, why are you hitting him?' I said to Ramanand Sagar - 'Listen son! Now you understand!' By this now you must have also understood why I am not seen in films. Secondly, nowadays heroism has become such that there should be only a hero in the whole film. If an artist overshadows the hero in a scene, then the hero gets angry. And he tells the director-''We cannot work in such an environment. In our time, all artists were equal. There was no sahab and no servant. Let me tell you another interesting story. This is from 1945. This is from the shooting of the film 'Laila Majnu'. Nazir (late K. Asif's maternal uncle), Swarn Lata and some junior artists were shooting at Mysore Palace in Bombay. Food arrived for us during lunch time. The production manager gave money to the junior artists and told them to go and eat. A junior artist said- Give us a car. Because at that time (Sophisticated villain K N Singh roles) there was no hotel in that area. And to eat, we had to go from there, i.e. from Napier Road to Grant Road. At this, the production manager got angry at the junior artist. When Nazir heard this, he called the production manager and scolded him a lot and took his and our food and gave it to the junior artists. The junior artists got scared and refused to eat. Nazir said that if you guys don't eat this food then I will not talk to you. They were forced to eat the food. Then the production manager (K N Singh legacy Hindi cinema) himself went to bring food for us. Today you can expect this from any hero.

'What are your upcoming films? And what kind of roles are there in them?'

'As I said, I have almost retired. Still, if someone calls me, I go. I am playing the role of a judge in Raj Khosla's film. In 'Tumhare Pehlu', I am playing the role of Vinod Mehra's father who is seriously ill. Apart from this, there is probably one more film whose name I cannot remember.'

In Raj Kapoor's film Awara, I play the role of a goon in which Judge Prithviraj Kapoor punishes me and I declare his son Raj Kapoor a thief, the dialogue of which became very famous 

The son of an honest man is not honest and the son of a scoundrel is not a scoundrel, it is only the circumstances that make him a vagabond, a thief, a scoundrel

FAQs

• Who was K. N. Singh, and why is he still remembered?
  Krishan Niranjan Singh (1908–2000), known as K. N. Singh, was a suave, cultured villain in Hindi cinema. His calm menace, baritone voice, and sharp gaze set him apart and made him unforgettable. He featured in over 200 films from the 1930s to the late 1980s.

• What was the turning point in K. N. Singh’s career?
  His breakthrough came with Baghban (1938), which ran for a golden jubilee and firmly established him as a leading villain.

• What are some iconic films featuring K. N. Singh as a villain?
  Notable works include Awara (1951), Barsaat (1949), Baazi (1951), Howrah Bridge (1958), CID (1956), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Jaal (1952), and An Evening in Paris (1967).

• What made his villain role unique in Bollywood?
  Unlike flamboyant, shouting villains, K. N. Singh was the "gentleman villain"—always well-dressed, refined, and quiet, yet still terrifying. His style created a new kind of fear.

• How long was K. N. Singh’s film career, and what was his final role?
  He worked steadily from 1936 until the mid-1980s. His last significant appearance was in Loafer (1973), with an actual final cameo in Woh Din Aayega (1986).

• Did K. N. Singh have a background in sports or law?
  Yes. Before acting, he was a javelin and shot-put athlete selected for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He dropped out to support his ailing sister instead.

• How did he enter films?
  A chance meeting with Prithviraj Kapoor introduced him to filmmaker Debaki Bose, leading to his debut role in Sunehra Sansar (1936).

• What were his personal and family details?
  Born September 1, 1908, in Dehradun. He never had biological children but adopted his nephew Pushkar, who later became a TV and ad-film producer. K. N. Singh passed away in Mumbai on January 31, 2000.

• Did K. N. Singh maintain a presence even in old age despite blindness?
  Yes. Even when he became visually impaired in later years, he was revered. His mere presence on set kept actors disciplined. 

• Did he receive any international attention or unique achievements?
  He was once one of the highest-paid villains in his era, known across generations. His trademark elegance helped redefine villainy in Indian cinema. Although not formally awarded internationally, his work had a lasting impact.

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