boots and retire to the Himalayas or something? For
fans of Tamil Cinema, it would be a terrible loss
comparable to the grief every Indian must experience
if Sachin Tendulkar were to retire from International
cricket. There has been considerable debate and a
spate of controversy over a worthy successor to Rajnikanth.
So this begs the question of who is the next Superstar.
There are takers enough for the hallowed spot but
perhaps it is time we all realize that there will
never be another like Rajnikanth, ever. And that is
not necessarily a bad thing. For we all know that
there is no dearth of talent in the Tamil film industry.
The Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan era has been a glorious
one and the two behemoths are still going strong but
the age of the superstars must draw to a close some
time, and the new guard is no less impressive than
the old one. The younger generation of actors have
done impressive work and are sure to preserve the
high standards of their predecessors. An examination
of their credentials will surely help prove this point.
VIJAY
Vijay or ‘Ilaya Thalapathi’ as he is lovingly
called by his adoring fans is an established star
in his own right and one of the stalwarts of the industry.
He is Superstar material simply because he does not
blindly emulate the original Superstar and brings
his own particular style to his portrayals. The man
is charismatic, has screen presence, fantastic voice
modulation, can totally rock a fight sequence, shake
a leg with the best of them, and romance the pants
off his heroines. And he sings pretty decently. In
movies like “Gilli” and “Pokkiri”,
he managed to find his groove and a permanent place
in the hearts of the audiences.
The promising actor has faced his share of problems
from a string of flops to clashes with political head
honchos. But he has made a strong comeback with his
latest “Kaavalan” which has been declared
a smash hit and also won him critical acclaim for
his restrained performance. Here’s hoping he
picks his scripts with a little more care and makes
great films that will do the industry proud.
AJITH KUMAR
There is no denying that ‘Thala’ has style,
attitude, and oodles of charm. There are hordes of
fans across the length and breadth of the state who
simply refuse to give up on him, despite an unenviable
string of colossal flops. Movies like “Vaali”,
“Villain”, and “Varalaru”
showcased his acting chops and proved that as an actor
he has a wealth of potential.
However, Ajith seems to attract controversy like an
industrial strength magnet. From his much publicized
disagreements with producers and directors which have
resulted in his being forced out of promising projects
to inflammatory speeches on political harassment which
led to him being hounded, he is no stranger to trouble.
If he were to simply focus on making awesome movies
with talented people and steers clear of controversy
and alternative career paths, he will be doing himself
and his fans a big favor. “Mankatha” with
Venkat Prabhu promises to be exactly what the doctor
ordered for this beleaguered star.
SURIYA
When it comes to achieving a perfect blend between
mass and class cinema, nobody does it better than
Suriya. He seems to have gotten his hands on the long
coveted secret to box – office success and he
is in no hurry to relinquish it. In movies like “Kaakha
Kaakha”, “Pithamagan” and “Perazhagan”,
he gave brilliant performances than made him something
of an icon in the industry. And then with pure entertainers
like “Vel” and “Ayan” he proved
that he could attract the masses as well.
This dude is a professional with a knack for picking
out winning scripts and it is clear that he is dedicated
to his craft. But what makes him fall just shy of
perfection is the restraint and self - consciousness
that comes across as something that is integral to
his persona and which seeps into almost all his characters.
And that is not something which delectable abs alone
can fix. That being said, one cannot help but wait
for his next offering as it is very likely that he
will knock it out of the ball park.
VIKRAM
‘Chiyaan’ Vikram was a late bloomer but
he is a powerhouse of talent and a national award
winner. There are few in the industry who can boast
of similar prowess as an actor. Movies like “Sedhu”,
“Pithamagan”, “Dhill”, “Dhool”,
and “Saamy” consolidated his position
as one of the greatest performers in this country.
Recently, he did the south proud by delivering a thumping
performance as ‘Raavanan’ and garnering
box office glory while his north – Indian counterpart
could not boast of similar results.
The sheer passion Vikram has for his chosen profession
is apparent given the amount of preparation that goes
into his roles. But constant unhealthy changes to
his body mass index in his intense desire to get under
the skin of his character has caused him to slow down
mentally and physically and resulted in some of his
films failing to hit pay – dirt. However, one
can confidently assert that given his raw talent,
it is only a matter of time before he hits his stride
again and goes on to win more honors both for himself
and his supporters. Perhaps, someday he will even
go on to win an academy award!
DHANUSH
Dhanush seems to be a hardworking young man and movies
like “Kaadhal Kondaen”, and the recent
“Aadukalam” indicate that he has the makings
of a fine actor indeed. He chooses his projects with
a good deal of care and evidently puts his heart and
soul into them. He is the son – in – law
of Superstar Rajnikanth. On paper this is considered
an advantage but more often than not his famous connection
has not worked out very well for him since it has
only served to earn him unfair comparisons with the
great man himself. If Dhanush were to focus on carving
out a niche just for himself, odds are he’ll
go places.
SIMBHU
Simbhu is clearly the rough diamond in the Tamil film
industry. He was a successful child artiste and is
now an actor/ singer/ director/ lyricist/ writer/
dancer. But despite his many talents few took him
seriously at the onset and insiders felt that his
attitude was the problem. Even a hit movie like “Manmadhan”
which was penned and directed by Simbhu could not
reverse the tide. Blockbusters eluded him and big
filmmakers steered clear of him. The moniker “Little
Superstar” became something of an onus for him
as it seemed ironic more than anything.
Silambarasan then took stock of the situation and
decided to tone down the attitude without dropping
it completely. He even stopped talking unnecessarily
about the ladies he has loved and lost. This resulted
in him joining hands with Gautham Menon and “Vinnaithandi
Varuvaiya” happened. The rest as they say is
history. A star had arrived and yes he can act with
the best of them. With a little polish, this rough
diamond is sure to shine brightly.
KARTHI
This powerhouse performer is a phenomenon who has
taken the Tamil industry by storm. He has had only
five releases to date and they have all been stupendous
successes. Suriya’s younger brother made the
most daring and unconventional debut of all time with
Ameer’s “Paruthiviran”. He played
a thankless character who was unkempt, uncouth and
a devotee of violence when he was not in the company
of sleazy women or getting smashed. And yet Karthi
managed to endear himself to all who stepped in to
the movie hall. After this dazzling debut there has
been no looking back for the young star. Movies like
“Aayurathil Oruvan”, “Paiyaa”,
“Naan Mahan Alla”, and “Siruthai”
have consolidated his enviable position.
What sets Karthi apart from the others is that he
has talent, charisma as well as screen presence in
abundance. There is a magnetic quality about him that
is reminiscent of Superstar and which sends the masses
into a frenzy. The crowds worship him already and
the response to him in theatres has to be seen and
heard to be believed. The audience laugh, cry, and
love with him. He simply rocks their world with his
livewire performances. In addition to this he experiments
with his roles and has the confidence to carry them
off with considerable elan. There can be little doubt
about it – Karthi’s star is on the ascent
and it is sure to shine brightest on the horizon one
day.
ARYA
Arya is the quintessential unconventional hero –
from his looks to his choice of roles there is nothing
remotely typical about him. He first grabbed eyeballs
not with his own light eyes but with his breakout
performance in “Arindhum Ariyamalum” and
there has been no looking back for him ever since.
Tackling risky projects which his contemporaries avoid
like an encounter with the Income tax department,
he has repeatedly delivered the goods. Movies like
“Naan Kadavul”, “Madrasapattinam”,
“Boss Engira Baskaran” have gone on to
become cult classics defying all odds. He may be the
dark horse of the industry but he is clearly a winner.
In addition to this fine crop, actors like Jiiva,
Prasanna, Vimal, deserve an honorable mention. Given
the abundance of talent in the Tamil film industry
one need not worry about its future. For we may have
to bid adieu to the Superstar sometime in the future
but we will never run out of super stars.
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