Gone are the days of that simple, clean, charming hero who won hearts with his smile and songs. In 2025 and now, as we are two weeks away from 2026, India’s screens are dominated by leading men who are raw, ruthless and anything but perfect. These characters, who are flawed at their core, are drawing crowds and garnering praise in equal measure. Call it new-age realism: Heroes no longer need to behave like others to find love.

Real people are messy, contradictory, and often unpleasant. Bollywood is finally reflecting that truth without pretense. The idea that a hero should be aspirational has given rise to something even more unsettling: characters who reflect deeper tendencies we typically avoid acknowledging. These people are not role models nor do the movies show them off.

Kabir Singh started all this

Kabir Singh 2019 kind of set the trend, but 2025 turned up the volume and 2026 will add more names to this long list. Kabir Singh Gave us an unstable surgeon whose toxicity somehow made him magnetic. Played by Shahid Kapoor, Kabir was a red flag in every way – arrogant, self-destructive and violently possessive. All these qualities would have made a mainstream hero unimaginable in the past (imagine that). Who are we to you?love of or my heart is crazyA male name. ok wait! Let’s go back to the Kabir Singhs of the world).

Kabir’s appeal lay not in his morality but in his emotional nakedness. He was brilliant at his work and destructive in his personal life, sinking deeper into addiction and obsession, attacking everyone around him. The film doesn’t condone his behavior, but it also doesn’t dumb it down to make it palatable.

What Kabir Singh The exposure brought about a change in the audience’s appetite. Audiences were no longer looking for men with aspiration and perfection. He was attracted to characters who were broken and uncomfortable to watch. The outrage surrounding the film further strengthened its impact. Kabir Singh Proved that a hero could be extremely unlikable and still garner attention, debate and box-office success. The audience not only watched, but also wholeheartedly defended this flawed character. The door that was left open has opened, making room for a new generation of leaders who are flawed and who don’t care about being loved.

What Kabir Singh started, Animal Took it further. Ranbir Kapoor’s possessive son becomes a complete anti-hero bathed in blood and passion. The film was criticized, but grossed over Rs 900 crore worldwide at the box office.

rise of red flags

Animal It was a turning point in how mainstream Hindi cinema could center an unexpected person without trying to justify him. Ranbir Kapoor’s character is angry, obsessive and emotionally damaging, especially in his relationships. The film doesn’t offer easy justifications for his violence or toxicity, nor does it try to immediately redeem him. Instead, it draws the audience into its world, leaving the viewer to sit with its anger and chaos rather than impart a moral lesson.

In 2025, stalwartThe success of was another proof. Ranveer Singh’s hero is not attractive in the traditional sense, neither emotionally accessible nor morally convincing. He is violent, closed-off, and driven by instinct rather than ideals. The film makes no attempt to justify his actions. The violence is presented not as heroic, but as raw and unsettling, and the narrative never stops to demand audience approval. And yet, it has managed to rake in over Rs 1,200 crore at the worldwide box office.

O’Romeo, Toxic, Spirit, Cara: a lot more coming

What is telling is that this is not a one-off phase, but a pattern. What’s more, directors from Vishal Bhardwaj to Sandeep Reddy Vanga are involved in it.

Vishal Bhardwaj is coming soon o’romeo Shahid Kapoor holds the promise of a razor-sharp, morally detached lead. Yash in Geetu Mohandas toxic and Prabhas in Sandeep Reddy Vanga Soul are already being positioned as dark, aggressive explorations of power and passion rather than heroic journeys. Dhanush, who has long mastered playing uncomfortable men, has promised to double it down with his next film. kara. The first look of the film suggests a character that is serious, violent and unattainable – which is in line with his last role. in love with you. This isn’t accidental casting or branding, but looks like a clear creative choice.

OTT platforms have also played a quiet but important role. Shows led by morally compromised men have trained audiences to accept flawed characters. Now the outrage is less about the characters and more about the fear of what they represent. Many times prop characters add suspense to the script with their red flag qualities, taking away the limelight from the film’s hero – think Vijay Varma as a serial killer. roar and charming abuser darlingsHe symbolizes the repulsion that you can’t look away from. There’s no getting rid of these villains, but they keep you hooked nonetheless.

Filmmakers are working with these flawed characters which are attracting the audience to the theatres. Realism demands characters who breathe, bleed and break. Post-pandemic, audiences choose authentic storytelling over fairy tales. Social media discussion confirms this as fans defend these anti-heroes, with memes glorifying the chaos they have created.

Critics may cry foul, but the box office numbers of these films show that audiences are loving it. Indian cinema is not going dark for shock value. This is becoming true with time. In a fragmented, anxious world, polished perfection feels dishonest. The flawed, fierce, and unapologetic men feel real. And clearly, audiences very much agree.