Badlaa

"Badlaa"
The X-Files episode
The Indian beggar, the episode's main antagonist. The character was played by noted stuntman Deep Roy.
Episode no.	Season 8 Episode 10
Directed by	Tony Wharmby
Written by	John Shiban
Production code	8ABX12
Original air date	January 21, 2001
Running time	44 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Tony Adelman as Trevor's Father Jane Daly as Mrs. Holt Ruth de Sosa as Quinton's Mother Bill Dow as Charles Burks Jacob Franchek as Red-Headed Kid Andy Hubbell as Quinton's Father Christopher Huston as Mr. Burrard Kiran Rao as Customs Agent Calvin Remsberg as Hugh Potocki Deep Roy as Beggar Man Mimi Savage as Teacher Maura Soden as Trevor's Mother Winston Story as Bellboy Jordan Blake Warkol as Quinton Michael Welch as Trevor
Episode chronology
← Previous "Salvage" Next → "The Gift"
List of The X-Files episodes

"Badlaa" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on January 21, 2001. The episode was written by John Shiban and directed by Tony Wharmby. "Badlaa" is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 7.3 and was viewed by 11.8 million viewers. Overall, the episode received mostly negative reviews from critics.

The series centers on FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her new partner John Doggett (Robert Patrick)—following the alien abduction of her former partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. When a mystic smuggles himself out of India, Scully and Doggett give chase as his murderous spree starts terrorising two families in suburban Washington, D.C. But Scully soon comes upon a crisis of faith when she realises how dissimilar her techniques are from those of Mulder, even as she tries to be the believer.

"Badlaa" was inspired by stories of Indian fakirs as well as the idea of someone asking for money actually being "a bad guy." Gurdeep Roy, a noted stuntman better known as Deep Roy, was chosen to play the part of the antagonistic beggar. The episode's title means "retort" or "revenge" in Hindi.