Indian Actors Multiple Roles In One Film: From Sanjeev Kumar To Priyanka Chopra

The theme of Indian actors multiple roles in one film has fascinated audiences for decades. From stories of twins separated at birth to complex identities explored through cinema, the challenge of one actor portraying several distinct characters has always drawn attention. These performances are not just spectacles but demonstrations of skill, imagination, and technical brilliance.

Over the years, legendary performers like Sanjeev Kumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Priyanka Chopra, Govinda, and Johnson George have pushed boundaries by taking on multiple avatars in a single project. Some of these feats became benchmarks of acting excellence, while others even entered world record books.

Sanjeev Kumar: Benchmark For Indian Actors Multiple Roles In One Film

When discussing Indian actors multiple roles in one film, Sanjeev Kumar’s performance in Naya Din Nayi Raat (1974) always comes first. He played nine different characters, each reflecting one of the Navarasas or nine emotions central to Indian aesthetics.

The film followed a woman’s journey where she meets nine people, all played by Sanjeev Kumar, and each encounter symbolises a life lesson. His ability to switch between roles from comic to tragic, playful to spiritual made this performance unforgettable. To this day, acting students are encouraged to study his work in this film as a guide to versatility.

Sivaji Ganesan: The Original Master Of Multiple Roles

Before Sanjeev Kumar, Tamil legend Sivaji Ganesan had already shown how powerful it could be when Indian actors play multiple roles in one film. In Navarathri (1964), he embodied nine characters, each representing a rasa.

Without elaborate makeup, he relied on sheer acting craft, voice, movement, and presence to make each role distinct. This film later inspired its Hindi remake starring Sanjeev Kumar, but Sivaji Ganesan’s version remains iconic in Tamil cinema for its originality and emotional power.

Kamal Haasan: A Modern Technical Showcase

Kamal Haasan raised the bar for Indian actors with multiple roles in one film with Dasavathaaram (2008). Here, he played ten characters, ranging from a twelfth-century priest to a modern scientist, a Japanese fighter, an elderly woman, and even a George W. Bush lookalike.

Unlike earlier films, this performance relied heavily on prosthetics and advanced makeup. Some transformations took hours each day. Combined with voice changes and distinct body language, Kamal Haasan demonstrated how technology could enhance the age-old tradition of multiple-role performances in Indian cinema.

Priyanka Chopra: Redefining The Game For Female Actors

When it comes to female Indian actors playing multiple roles in one film, Priyanka Chopra’s work in What’s Your Raashee? (2009) remains unmatched. She played twelve different women, each based on a zodiac sign.

The challenge was subtle: all characters were similar in age and social background, so Priyanka had to distinguish them through accents, mannerisms, and styling. There is even a song where all twelve avatars appear, requiring her to slip in and out of roles almost instantly.

Though the film did not perform well commercially, her achievement made headlines worldwide. She became the first Indian actress to attempt so many characters in a single movie, a feat discussed even in Guinness World Records circles.

Govinda: Comedy And Multiple Avatars

Comedy has its own space in the history of Indian actors multiple roles in one film, and Govinda’s Hadh Kar Di Aapne (2000) is a perfect example.

He played six members of the same family, father, mother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, and himself. With wigs, costumes, and his famous comic timing.

Govinda kept audiences laughing while seamlessly jumping between genders and generations. It may not have been technically heavy, but it was pure entertainment, and audiences loved it.

Johnson George: A Guinness World Record Holder

The most astonishing achievement in the history of Indian actors multiple roles in one film belongs to Malayalam actor Johnson George. In Aaranu Njan? (2019), he portrayed an incredible 45 characters, setting a Guinness World Record.

Although the film itself was not widely popular, this record cemented his place in cinema history. No actor in India or globally has yet surpassed this number. His achievement demonstrates how regional cinema often produces experimental works that break barriers, even if they do not attract mass audiences.

Why Multiple Roles Matter In Indian Cinema

The tradition of Indian actors multiple roles in one film is more than a gimmick. It reflects deep cultural and artistic roots. Indian classical theatre and dance emphasise the Navarasas, the ability to evoke a range of emotions and cinema inherited this philosophy.

From a technical perspective, these films also pushed innovation. Early double roles required clever camera tricks, while later films like Dasavathaaram experimented with prosthetics and digital compositing. Audiences enjoyed not just the story but also the spectacle of transformation.

Culturally, these performances resonated because they captured the Indian love for melodrama, surprise, and versatility. Seeing one actor convincingly become many people reinforced the idea that cinema is, above all, about imagination.

The legacy of Indian actors multiple roles in one film is rich and inspiring. Sivaji Ganesan pioneered it with Navarathri, Sanjeev Kumar made it a benchmark with Naya Din Nayi Raat, and Kamal Haasan pushed it into the realm of technology with Dasavathaaram. Priyanka Chopra broke new ground for female actors with What’s Your Raashee?, Govinda turned it into comedy gold in Hadh Kar Di Aapne, and Johnson George etched his name into Guinness history with forty-five roles in Aaranu Njan?.

Also Read: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Court Case: Delhi High Court Protects Her Digital Identity

These performances remind us that Indian cinema is not bound by limits. One actor can indeed be many, and in their transformations, we see the infinite possibilities of storytelling.

FAQs