With Abhishek Bachchan playing a character that has grey shades in the film Raavan, and the latest being Salman Khan who will reportedly play the role of Mogambo in Mr. India 2, it seems that the actors are becoming more accepting towards negative roles.

There was a time when actors were very conscious about how the audience perceived them on- screen and off- screen too. They only believed that doing positive roles was the key to win people's hearts. Fighting the villain, saving the heroine, being the ideal son seemed to be the perfect formula to become a successful hero.

But times have changed and the actors are open to experimentation too.

It all started with our very own SRK playing a negative role in Darr as his debut and sent chills down their spine when he said 'K..K..K..K..Kiran' and won the Best Actor in a Negative Role Awared, and is yet known to be the most romantic heroes of recent times.

This role was earlier offered to Aamir Khan but he rejected it on account of it being a negative role. But times have changed and the actors are now open to playing even negative roles and showcase their versatility. It's not just about being the good boy now.

The audience wants to see how varied an actor can get and have started understanding the fact that it is just a character that an actor plays in a film and not that he resembles the same qualities.

Saif played a negative character in the film Omkara, Ajay Devgan played the evil in films like Deewangee, Khakee and Kaal, Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2, John Abraham in New York, Arjun Rampal in Om Shanti Om, Akshay Khanna in Race and even Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma's Aag; these actors have surely dared to be different. It's not just the heroes who are open to negative roles.

Our ladies of B-town are also exploring their grey shades. Priyanka Chopra did a brilliant job in Aitraaz and Katrina too played a negative role in Race.

Good or bad our heroes are here to stay and have won several hearts with their talent whether in a positive or negative role.