It's the season of heroic diabolism in Bollywood

Being wicked is again cool in Bollywood. It's the snowball effect after Saif Ali Khan in "Omkara" and Hrithik Roshan in "Dhoom 2", and everybody, from Naseeruddin Shah and Amitabh Bachchan to Bobby Deol and Viveik Oberoi are joining in.

Innocent-faced Sammir Dattani plays a ruthlessly ambitious politician in Vikram Bhatt's "Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie".

"I really enjoyed going grey in 'Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie'. It gave me a chance to do things which I wouldn't dream of doing in real life," Sammir told IANS.

"Being ruthlessly ambitious doesn't come naturally to me. But even Abhishek (Bachchan) played a guy who thinks the end justifies the means in 'Guru'. I guess we're in for a time when morals are no longer that sharp-focussed," he added.

He isn't alone, of course.

As Bollywood icon Amitabh unleashes a feast of fury in Ram Gopal Varma's "Sholay", Anil Kapoor will get incorrigibly bad in Yash Raj Films's "Tasal".

Naseer, fresh on the heels of his triumph as a bereaved Parsi father in "Parzania", is also all set to get seriously evil in Rajat Kapoor's "Mithiya".

"I play the villain while Ranvir Shorey plays the hero," Naseer told IANS.

In last years big hit "Krrish", he played a caricature villain.

"I'm no stranger to villainy. I was the antagonist in Rajiv Rai's 'Vishawatma' long ago," he added.

However, the season of diabolism is upon us. In Apoorva Lakhiya's 'Shootout at Lokhandwala' Viveik and Tusshar Kapoor are cast as hit-men trapped in a building in Lokhandwala.

In Suneel Darshan's "Shakalaka Boom Boom" Bobby goes grey with a vengeance. He plays a jealous embittered musician who is ready to go to any length to thwart his protйgй's talent.

"It's a new experience for me," said Bobby. "Since I'm such a good guy in real life, I get a chance to vent all my inner demons."

We had a prolonged spell of heroic diabolism a few years ago when everyone - from Shah Rukh Khan ("Darr") to Akshaye Khanna ("Humraaz") played dirty on screen.

Interestingly, everyone who's someone wants to play Ravan in Raj Kumar Santoshi's adaptation of the "Ramayan". The director has cast his favourite Ajay Devgan, who played a baddie in friend Anees Bazmi's "Deewaangi", as Ram. Many top actors are in negotiation for Ravan.

Santoshi is in a jam as to whom he should cast as the ultimate villain.