The era of female antagonists is here and we hope it’s here to stay. Long gone are the days when women were treated as background characters. The newest addition to the list is Junoon, played by Mouni Roy in ‘Brahmastra’, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Nagarjuna, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.
The queen of darkness, Mouni Roy doesn't just join the herd of female antagonists. Strong enough to hold her own, she goes against all to her own benefit. Her jaw-dropping performance as she stands against the others in ‘Brahmastra’ is something audiences will take away from the film.
The actress known for her acting chops in ‘Naagin’ and many other TV shows and films, left the audiences speechless with her grace and stance as Junoon. She will always be recognised as the pioneer female antagonist of a cinematic universe in the Indian context.
Looking abroad, here are 3 other actresses who have played iconic female antagonists onscreen and totally owned it.
Wanda Maximoff
Starting off strong we have Wanda Maximoff. Her journey in the MCU is from a villain to a hero and back to being something of an antagonist. Actress Elizabeth Olsen has done a phenomenal job of creating Wanda to be relatable and so much more difficult to hate as one would a purely evil villain
Harley Quinn
Then there is Harley Quinn. Harley is every bit sensible as she is crazy and unlike Joker, her passion doesn't begin and end with Batman. One of the most famous female villains respected both within her own universe and ours, Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad etched Harley forever in our memories.
Cat Woman
Speaking of the DC Universe another revered character is Cat Woman. One of the first grey characters, Cat Woman toes the line of heroic and villainous so wonderfully you can only admire it. Zoe Cravitz’s perfect performance of a no-nonsense confident lady with independent thought.
