Riteish Deshmukh: Heroes need villains to be remembered

Riteish Deshmukh recently shared his thoughts on why villains play a vital role in storytelling. He believes that without a strong antagonist, a hero’s journey loses impact. According to him, it's the clash between hero and villain that makes a story exciting and memorable.

In a conversation with, the 'Masti' and 'Ek Villain' actor explained that a powerful story comes from well-matched characters. The hero’s path becomes interesting only when the villain presents a serious challenge. It’s like this, he said. Crossing a speed breaker isn’t thrilling, but climbing Mount Everest is. The tougher the challenge, the better the story.

Riteish gave examples from films like Mr. India and Raid, where Mogambo and Saurabh Shukla’s characters made the heroes shine. He said a villain doesn’t need more screen time but must be written in a way that adds tension and depth to the plot. A hero becomes iconic because of a memorable villain, he said.

He also emphasized that this formula isn’t new — it worked in the past, works now, and will continue to work. A gripping villain creates the conflict that keeps the audience engaged.

In his latest film Raid 2, released on May 1, Riteish plays a corrupt politician. Also starring Ajay Devgn, the movie builds on this very idea — where a strong villain gives the hero a tough mountain to climb.