According to your MBTI, which iconic Bollywood character do you resemble?
In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) literature, there are numerous examples of Hollywood fictional characters belonging to each of the 16 personality types. However, there are very few attempts of identifying the personality types of iconic Bollywood characters.
Here is an attempt to classify our iconic Bollywood characters according to this famous framework.
1. INTJ- Architect
The character of Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan- Swades) is an example of the quintessential INTJ. Mohan is a project manager at NASA, a career which requires him to be strategic, independent and insightful. Like any typical INTJ, he is a cynic, and argues that India is far away from being developed, and yet also a starry-eyed idealist, and deep in his heart aspires for nothing less than perfect living conditions in his country. He does not accept the rules and beliefs of the society on their face value, and instead believes in creating change and empowering the people. Determined, ambitious, innovative and decisive, he embodies all the sentiments and values of an INTJ. Other example of an INTJ in Bollywood is Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan- Chak De! India).
2. INTP- Logician
Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan- My Name Is Khan) has a Logician personality type. He is a imaginative and original thinker, with a strong inclination towards inventing and repairing things. In his childhood only, he is considered remarkable in his abilities. Even though he suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, his knowledge and understanding about the various historical and scientific facts is exceptional. He is private and withdrawn, and very straight-forward, our own Bollywood-ised Dexter.
3. ENTJ- Commander
“Har jung ka sirf ek hi usool hota hai- Jeet” (“Every war has only one principle- Victory”) Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh- Padmaavat) is an epitome of Commander personality type. A born-leader, Khilji is relentless, unforgiving, insensitive and a very determined ruler, who goes to a brutal and dangerous war just to fulfil his personal ambitions, personifying qualities of a very powerful ENTJ. He is a charismatic leader, who is energetic, strong-willed and confident as a bird. Even though he was a villain, he garnered more fans than the protagonist of the movie, because of his larger-than-life ENTJ personality only.
4. ENTP- Debater
Who doesn’t love the quirky yet deep exchanges between our favourite Rancho and Virus? Rancho (Aamir Khan- 3 Idiots) is modelled on an ENTP personality. Rancho is an enthusiastic, smart and curious extraverted student, who likes to challenge the fundamental beliefs in the systems. A genius inventor at heart, he thinks out-of-the-box and brings innovation in every aspect of his life, from giving unorthodox answers in class to successfully aiding in the delivery of a baby using his engineering acumen. Just like every other ENTP, he often falls in trouble for his frank and unorthodox opinions.
5. INFJ- Advocate
Raj Aryan (Shah Rukh Khan- Mohabbatein) is an INFJ- Advocate personality. The ‘Advocates’ are called so because they always find some cause worth fighting for, and then every action of theirs is to strive for that particular cause. Raj is a sensitive and emotional idealist, who fights against injustice. He has an altruistic streak, and is very inspiring from both his words and actions. And yes, the creativity of Intuitive Introversion is evident in him, his being a professional violinist and music maestro.
6. INFP- Mediator
The behaviour of the eccentric PK (Aamir Khan- PK) is an expression of an INFP Mediator personality. PK is calm, shy and yet deeply communicative. He has the gift of explaining everything in his mind in simple yet influencing language. Just like their Judging counterparts, INFPs are also altruistic to some extent, and value harmony and peace. PK is an acute representative of this quality as well. The effects of his distinctive open-mindedness constitute the main theme of the story. Doesn’t he remind us of the classic INFP, Luna Lovegood, a bit?
7. ENFJ- Protagonist
The ‘Protagonist’, the archetypal leader, is frequently represented in the Bollywood protagonists. Arun “Mr. India” (Anil Kapoor- Mr. India) is one of the many examples. He is charismatic, he inspires, he is altruistic, he is helpful, and what not! He rescues a beautiful lady from the clasps of the evil? Check. He helps in the upliftment of the poor? Check. He rids the society of an evil villainous chap? Check. Basically, the vintage bollywood hero is modelled on ENFJ type only.
Many heroines also have this type of personality. Example: Romila Dutta (Preity Zinta- Lakshya)
8. ENFP- Campaigner
ENFP is the favourite personality type of most Indian girls, thanks to some very memorable female characters having this type of personality. At least half of the Indian girls want to be like Geet (Kareena Kapoor- Jab We Met), a classic Campaigner. Energetic, charming, social and bubbly, Geet is a true free spirit. She is carefree and optimistic, who seems to find a reason to smile in everything that happens around her. Geet, like a true ENFP, believes in spontaneous decisions and is able to communicate well.(Actually, much more than well in her case)
Another Campaigner, who is equally adored, is Rani (Kangana Ranaut- Queen).
9. ISTJ- Logistician
Veeru Sahastrabudhi “Virus” (Boman Irani- 3 Idiots) is an accurate, but somewhat exaggerated example of the practical minded Logisticians. Virus takes prides on his institution and achievements. He is a logically driven individual, who values supreme quality in work, hard work and strong adherence to established rules. He has set high standards for himself as well as others, and is relentlessly dedicated to his duties and responsibilities, like a true ISTJ. Although, having Virus in the same personality category as Hermione Granger and Minerva Mcgonagal seems a little overwhelming, but if we look carefully, they all represent the same traits deep down.
10. ISFJ- Defender
Tara Singh (Sunny Deol- Gadar) has an ISFJ Defender personality. Tara Singh defends his dear wife to his full capacity, and this is the biggest strength of a defender- they are very much devoted to protect and support other people. They even do not hesitate to be a caregiver for random strangers. They are humble, shy and gentle caregivers. A Defender is one of those introvert types which are good at social interactions as well, and many a times are mistaken as extroverts.
Another example of a Defender is Neerja (Sonam Kapoor- Neerja).
11. ESTJ- Executive
Try to imagine stereotypical Bollywood strict dads/grandfathers, especially Amitabh Bachchan’s roles. Holding the family together, upholding its traditions and customs, and taking the responsibility to indoctrinate the children- these are some of the major tasks of them. They are wonderful administrators, who manage huge business empires and large joint families efficiently. Sometimes they uphold rules to the point of being too rigid and controlling. These dads are generally of textbook executive personality. For example, Yash Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan- Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham) has an Executive personality. Similarly, Narayan Shankar (Amitabh Bachchan- Mohabbatein) is another example.
12. ESFJ- Consul
Consuls are loyal, friendly extrovert friends of ours, who are ready to help us out whenever we seek their help. Munna (Sanjay Dutt- Munna Bhai Series) has a consul personality type, and his sidekick Circuit (Arshad Warsi- Munna Bhai Series) also belongs to the same set. Always eager to help and support people, Munna is a outgoing personality with friends and connections from every place. When Munna himself is in need, Circuit is always there to offer practical suggestions, and of course Munna himself has a permanent cure for every ailment, his Jadu ki Jhappi. Instead of hard-core philosophy like thier introverted counterparts, their altruistic initiatives are driven by simple moral values.
13. ISTP- Virtuoso
Virtuoso being a rare and often misunderstood type, finding a classic Virtuoso in Bollywood was not easy. But then, Aryan “Mr. A” (Hrithik Roshan- Dhoom 2) comes to mind. He is a textbook Virtuoso, with every nuances in the character symbolic of the sentiments and motives of an ISTP. Aryan is a ‘cool dude’, who is bold, spontaneous and loves adventure. He is skilled at mechanical things and is practical experimenter, creating new Hi-tech gadgets and unleashing his creative side. And he is also an extreme introvert, with very few friends and a reserved nature.
14. ISFP- Adventurer
Rahul Jaykar “RJ”(Aditya Roy Kapoor- Aashiqui 2) has an Adventurer personality. Always seeking new adventures, adventurers are frequent risk-takers. They are passionate artists, who often, though not always, choose their passions as their career streams. They are sensitive and unpredictable, and try to minimise conflicts in their lives. However, few turbulent types of Adventurers, such as RJ, get easily stressed out, and over indulge in risky behaviours, which in his case is alcohol abuse. They are not efficient long term planners, but like to live in the moment, and collect experiences instead of assets.
15. ESTP- Entrepreneur
Kabir “Bunny” (Ranbir Kapoor- Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) epitomizes the Entrepreneur personality type. We remember Bunny as the guy who likes to live on the edges, wishing to travel the whole world. He is an outgoing, enthusiastic, action-oriented and colorful person, with a true entrepreneurial spirit. He does not like to be restricted in any boundaries, and lives life on his own terms. In school, he was not very invested in conventional methods of learning, just like most entrepreneurs. And finally, he sometimes come off as a bit insensitive and careless, and seems to disregard the long term impacts of his choices.
16. ESFP- Entertainer
The most memorable character of a generation, Pooja “Poo” (Kareena Kapoor- Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham), has an ESFP- Entertainer personality. The fashionista Poo comes as a breath of fresh air in the story, entertaining us with her energetic attitude towards life. She is both confident and vulnerable in her unique way. Poo seems to be self-centric, all-about-herself in the beginning, but later she reveals a helpful and mature side of herself. Another example of this type is Basanti (Hema Malini- Sholay).
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Image source: www.16personalities.com
