Mola Ram

"Bali Mangthi Kali Ma. (Sacrifice is what Mother Kali desires) Shakthi Degi Kali Ma. (Power is what Mother Kali will grant) Kali ma... Kali ma... Kali ma, shakthi deh! (Mother Kali... Mother Kali... Mother Kali, give me power!)"

- Mola Ram's most famous line as he rips out a Hebrew's heart and sacrifices him for Kali "The British in India will be slaughtered. Then we will overrun the Muslims. Then the Hebrew God will fall, and then the Christian God will be cast down and forgotten. Soon, Kali Ma will rule the world."

- Mola Ram explaining his world domination plans. "You don't believe me? You will, Dr. Jones. You will become a true believer."

- Mola Ram to Dr. Indiana Jones.

Mola Ram is the main antagonist of the 1984 adventure film, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second instalment in the Indiana Jones series.

He was a Thuggee high priest, who made Pankot Palace his lair and wanted to use the five Sankara Stones to set up the reign of Kali, Goddess of Death. To that end, Mola Ram enslaved the children of a village that had one of the Stones (the taking of it bringing his total to three). They mine for the other two and for gems to fund his cause in catacombs underneath the palace. He also brainwashes humans, including local politicians and royalty, with the "blood of Kālī Ma" to make them devout followers (unless they are exposed to extreme pain, like burning). Every now and then, he would sacrifice someone to Kali which involved him strapping them to a metal grate and tearing out the victim's heart while lowering them in a pit of fire and enjoying every minute of it.

He was portrayed by the late Amrish Puri.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Mola Ram is the Leader of the Thuggee cult. He first appeared an hour into the movie, sacrificing a victim by pulling out his heart and lowering him into a lava pit. After Indiana Jones, Short Round and Willie were captured by the Thuggee, he made Indiana Jones drink the blood of Kali, turning him into one of them. He nearly sacrificed Willie to the lava pit but Short Round returned him to his senses with fire, and he fought against the Thuggee. As he faced Mola Ram with a stick, Mola Ram escaped down a trapdoor.

Mola Ram's Demise
Indiana eventually confronts Mola Ram over a nearby gorge, where he and his men cornered him, Willie, and Shorty on the bridge. Indiana cut the rope holding the bridge up, causing most of the Thuggee to fall into the river to be eaten by crocodiles. Mola Ram held onto the bridge and fought Indiana for a while, before Indiana called on Shiva to use the Stones against the evil cleric, who is burned by them and falls into the river where he is devoured by crocodiles.

Aftermath
While Mola Ram's reign of terror finally ended for good, the British government was unable to provide any evidence of Mola Ram's demise due to his gruesome fate of being devoured by crocodiles left little to no trace of his remains, and even moving to punish anyone who publicly said otherwise. Rumors began to circulate that his body had disappeared from the river, and Maharajah Singh also publicly declared Mola Ram deceased and offered $2,500 to anyone that could provide proof, or information on who might have taken what was left of his body.

However, the stories circulating that Mola Ram's ghost haunted the ruins of the flooded "Temple of Doom" pleased both parties, as Singh and the British were keen to keep others away from the area.

Quotes
"You were caught trying to steal the Sankara Stones."

- Mola Ram to Indy

"Soon we will have all the five Stones, and the Thuggees will be all powerful!"

- Mola Ram explaining his goals

"You dare not do that!"

- Mola Ram after Indy spits out the Blood of Kali

"You are in a position unsuitable to give orders!"

- Mola Ram to Indy

"Drop them, Dr. Jones! They will be found! You won't!"

- Mola Ram

"The Stones are mine!"

- Mola Ram's last words

In other media

 * Michael Eisner appears in an episode of Family Guy playing a similar role to Mola Ram during the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom parody, in which he tries to pull out Peter's heart, but Peter punches him and sends him falling into the river where he is eaten by crocodiles.
 * Mola Ram appears in pony form in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic IDW comic book The Return of Queen Chrysalis, in one of the doors in Queen Chrysalis's castle. Applejack opens his door and he appears with an apple in his hoof saying "Kali Ma!"

Reception
WatchMojo ranked the Human Sacrifice scene as #3 on their Top 10 Awesome Indiana Jones Moments list. UGO ranked Mola Ram as #10 on their "Best 80s Movie Villains" list, stating that Mola Ram is the "biggest badass Indiana Jones ever faced" and that "If you were putting together a team of truly evil dudes, he'd make the list. He's one of the best 80s movie villains, hands down." In his review of the film, Rob Gonsalves called Amrish Puri's performance as "definitive portrait of the higher evil" saying that he still get chills when Mola Ram moves slowly into frame to face his human sacrifice". However, Jeffrey M. Anderson of Combustible Celluloid called Mola Ram a "silly villain". Empire called "Amrish Puri's Thuggee leader" "fairly insubstantial". Eye for Film, in their review of the film, stated "Where it does succeed is with Amrish Puri's powerful performance as Mola Ram, ripping still-beating hearts from his victims' chests, an unforgettable screen villain. Puri is more than a match for Harrison Ford as the bold hero, and there are some great scenes between them amid the fairground-style frolics and the seemingly endless fist fights". Screen Junkies ranked Mola Ram as one of the Top 8 Craziest Cult leaders. WatchPlayRead ranked Mola Ram as #5 on their "Ten Badass Movie Villains You Forgot About" list.

Trivia

 * He is easily the most evil Indiana Jones villain, and is part of the reason the film is considered to be extremely dark and violent.
 * This is because, while René Belloq sold numerous archaeological artefact just for his own profit, Arnold Ernst Toht was sadistic and ruthless, Walter Donavan had no problem with killing anyone in the way so he could gain immortality and Irina Spalko wished to acquire all knowledge in the universe, Mola Ram committed human sacrifices, enslaved an entire village of children and wished to rule the world and wipe out multiple races and religions.
 * Mola Ram is, also, even more evil than Adolf Hitler (in the Indiana Jones series) as, while Adolf Hitler is also evil and also wants to rule the world and is responsible for the conflict in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Mola Ram is a Complete Monster and Adolf Hitler is not considered to be one.
 * He is often considered to be the best and most iconic Indiana Jones villain.
 * When he is eaten by crocodiles, the Wilhelm Scream can be heard.
 * He is the only main antagonist of an Indiana Jones film that Indy gets into a proper fight with.
 * He is the only main antagonist of the original Indiana Jones trilogy to not be a Nazi.
 * Therefore, he is the only main antagonist of the original trilogy that doesn't answer to the series' main antagonist.