They may still have some way to go to enter the A-list of KTown's stars but producers seem to be increasingly courting second rung actors. For producers of medium-budget films, actors like Vimal, Sivakarthikeyan, Shiva and Vijay Sethupathi have become the go-to guys today.

While Vimal is part of at least five films this year, Sivarthikeyan and Shiva have three each in hand. And, Vijay Sethupathi, who had a terrific run in 2012, has eight films in his hand. Industry insiders also put this demand for second rung actors to the fact that producers can recover their investment much easily. They point out the example of Pizza, which was made on a shoestring budget of 1.5 crore but made close to 5 crore from remake rights alone!

Says director Pandiraj, who has made Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga with Vimal and Sivakarthikeyan, "With the rapid increase in the number of films being produced, any actor who is capable of doing average business is seen as a safe bet for producers and directors. It is generally the story that dictates the type of hero it needs. And, when you work with a limited budget, these actors add value to the project."

An industry veteran, on condition of anonymity, explains, "Top stars are increasingly becoming inaccessible for medium-budget filmmakers. A-list actors want their films to be grander than their previous ones and prefer commercially successful directors to untested names. Most demand a pay packet that could be the entire budget of a midlevel film. Producers too have also become wary of the risks involved with recent films featuring top stars failing at the box office."

Vijay Sethupathi says, "When Pizza released, I was a nobody. Initially, we managed to get only 100 screens. But, after its success, the producers of Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom got 150 screens and also released the film in the US. Now, distributors are keen to invest in my films because they feel I have face value." He adds that the increase in interest doesn't mean he can do a big-budget film next.

"I think it is a step-by-step process. All my upcoming films are with first-time directors who feel I suit their story. The highest budgeted film among my current projects comes to around 6 crore. I have to consider the amount of business that my name can do and choose my projects carefully," says Vijay.

Pandiraj says that there is a certain comfort level for a director when he works with B-list actors. "With top stars, there are times when you need to convince them of certain aspects in the story but these actors are ready to do what the director requires," he concludes.