The two biggest stars of Kollywood -Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan – have entertained us for more than a couple of decades now. CT tracks the unique features of the two stars that make them appealing…

Rajinikanth

Style and charisma - The Superstar has inspired several younger actors to follow suit and ape his mannerisms. His one-liners, or punch dialogues as we call them, have struck a chord with people in all age groups. As they say, one moon, one sun, one Superstar.

FDFS phenomenon: You have to watch a Rajini film first day first show to really understand the ‘true Superstar experience’. For his last flick Endhiran, people queued up in theatres as early as 4 am and cheered like mad whenever he came on screen. So much so that you’d have to watch the film again to really hear the dialogues.

Comic streak: Remember the way his face changes when he spots a snake in his bedroom in Thambikku Entha Ooru and how he mutters ‘paambu’? And of course, several otherunforgettable scenes in films like Thillu Mullu that we still watch on TV and laugh.

Shades of grey: OK, we all know that Rajini is superb hero material, but the good actor that he is, his portrayal of characters with shades of grey in films is also much-loved. In a recent TV programme, many fans said that they loved ‘villain Rajini’ as much as the ‘hero Rajini’. His recent villain act in Endhiran received a lot of applause at the cinemas.

Life gyaan: Trust Superstar to tell things that?’ll help you in life! His advice through the dialogues in his films has shown many people the right direction. Songwriters have also helped a great deal by incorporating ‘messages’ in the songs he features in.

The spiritual side: His portrayal of Sri Raghavendra is still fondly remembered by many and his frequent visits to the Himalayas, a place that he loves, gets many of his fans too interested in spirituality.
Here’s looking forward to the ‘Kochadaiyaan’ invading us soon!

Kamal Haasan

Ulaganayagan, anyone? No one else deserves this title in Tamil cinema more than this actor, who is blessed with immense

Acting skills. From his first tryst with the screen in Kalathur Kannamma till his most recent Manmadhan Ambu, Kamal Haasan has done it all… and played it all!

Comic streak: Give us a dose of Kamal Haasan-Crazy Mohan combo any day! Films like Panchathanthiram and Kadhala Kadhala were a perfect fit for an actor who loves his one-liners and has a great sense of comedy.

A bit of everything…: It’s well known that Kamal has a great knowledge about filmmaking and needless to say, leaves his stamp on every aspect of the film. Be it dance, music, cinematography, his class of touch is highly visible.

Class and mass: The actor can play the local Chennai guy (remember Vasoolraja MBBS?) and a suave cop (like the one in Vettaiyau Vilaiyaadu) with equal ease. His knowledge of several Indian languages has helped him play roles effortlessly as well.

‘Look’ on, Kamal: If his bald look in Aalavandhan had us stunned, his 10 avatars in Dasavatharam had us in awe of the man and the manner in which he works towards getting the look right. Kamal is an actor who strives to show something different to the audience in every venture of his.

Here’s looking forward to the actor showcasing his ‘Viswaroopam’!