u/Every_Diamond_7411

I'm not trying to make another “why didn't Vishal/Arya/Jiiva, etc become bigger stars?” post because that conversation has been had a million times. I was just listening to some old songs and it made me think about how stacked that period was when it came to male leads.

Vishal, Arya, Jiiva, Aadhi Pinisetty, etc. weren't just guys who could “act enough” to be heroes. These were good performers. Obviously I'm not they were absolute acting greats, but they were natural, effortless and had their own screen presence. They had the looks and charisma that you'd expect from a movie star.

That's the part I feel like we don't get as much anymore. It's not that there aren't talented actors today. There obviously are. But finding someone who has the looks + screen presence + actual acting ability all together feels much harder.

And that's what makes it kinda sad looking back at these guys. They had everything you'd think a future big star would need, but most of them never really reached that top tier of stardom. Some had huge hits, some had great performances, some had really good filmographies, but somehow the next level of stardom never happened.

Even looking at someone like Pradeep Ranganathan becoming a much bigger name than some of these actors makes me realize how much the idea of stardom has changed. It's just crazy to think about.

It felt like these actors were just, everywhere. There was a warmth to that period of Tamil cinema that I really miss.

It's weird because I don't necessarily miss just the individual actors. I miss the era where actors like them existed and were part of the mainstream.

Good looking heroes who could actually act, had screen presence, and could carry a movie. That combination feels so rare now.

I don't know about anyone else, but I like Vishal. I'm a fan of his acting and I still love a lot of his older movies. Looking back at his filmography, especially his movies from the 2000s and 2010s, I wonder how he never became a bigger star.

Vishal has always been one of the most effortless and natural actors of his generation IMO. One thing I've always loved about Vishal's acting is how well he can combine anger with sadness. He can be absolutely furious in a scene but you can still see the hurt underneath it. Angry + sad Vishal is his most dangerous version. It was one of those little things about his acting style that always stood out to me.

It was never really a lack of talent. I think his biggest problems were that he never developed a huge market/fanbase, and over the years his script selection took a pretty massive hit.

Then there's everything around his off-screen image, which has also changed quite a bit. He has almost become more of a troll target than the actor people used to talk about.

Watching the reception to Magudam today just made me miss the old Vishal. There was a time when seeing him in a movie actually meant something. He had a lot of good films and performances.

I'm not saying he was ever on the level of Vijay, Ajith, Suriya or Vikram in terms of stardom. But purely in terms of talent, I really think Vishal had the ability to be much bigger than what he eventually became.

What do you guys think went wrong with Vishal?

These pictures he recently posted are so good. He actually looks like he just finished a damn photoshoot.

I feel like Lauri kinda gets lost in all the hype around the young guys now. Obviously I’m excited for Keyonte, JJJ, Ace, Darryn, etc. but I really hope people don’t forget that Lauri is still THAT guy on this team.

If we’re gonna make some noise next season, Lauri is gonna be a huge part of it. I’m really amped to see how he looks with this new group around him.

Anyway, he is handsome as hell. Had to say it.

I’m a little confused about the casting. Earlier, there were reports that Nayanthara was going to play the heroine, or at least a major female character who would be more of the emotional backbone of the story. Now there are reports saying Rukmini Vasanth is being considered for the female/romantic lead.

I’ve also heard that the film is supposed to have two heroines, so I’m wondering if both Nayanthara and Rukmini could be part of the film in different roles, or if one of these reports is completely off.

What do you guys think? Do you think these two will end up being the female leads, or could there be someone else?

I don't know, I just feel like they'd make a really cute on-screen pair. I think they look really good together.

It's funny because before I even heard this news, I randomly thought Harish and Anaswara would make a really good pair and wished they'd act together. That probably comes from the fact that I like both of them as actors. So I was shocked when I looked it up and found out they're supposedly doing a movie together.

I think this would be a really fresh pairing for Kollywood.

I'm not exaggerating at all; I've actually never seen anything like it.

It's so baffling to me how someone can exude elite confidence and competitiveness while still being so grounded and humble, especially at just 19 years old.

More than his actual game, this is what excites me the most and gives me so much confidence in how great he'll become.

We're lucky to have drafted Darryn Peterson.

Not a basketball discussion. It's just one of those smiles. If you get it, you get it.

The girls will understand what I mean (if there are any on this sub).

With the only exception being Jeeva, Samantha gave me the ick in this scene with her acting.

Direct affair reference, and with the exact same saree.

It's one of the best background scores ever created in Kollywood for its genre.

I don't think any other composer would've done a better job. Every cue feels perfectly placed, and the score is a huge reason why Ratsasan is as gripping as it is. Ghibran doesn't get nearly enough credit for this work, hes super underrated.

For me, it's Hasini from Santosh Subramaniam.

I know she isn't universally hated; in fact, she's one of the most memorable characters in Kollywood. But I think she gets mocked way more than she deserves, especially in the social media era, where people reduce her to a few "cringe" "annoying" moments. Being childish, bubbly, loud, and over-the-top was literally the whole point of her character.

I can't picture anyone other than Genelia pulling off Hasini the way she did. I feel like anyone else in that role would've made the character feel awkward or actually "cringe" instead of lovable.

Who are the characters you think are overhated?

Girl should just focus on singing because a voice like hers shouldn't be wasted. She's such a versatile singer.

Instead of worrying about or digging into other people's personal lives, she should be doing concerts like this more often and showcasing her talent. Is there really anything better than singing in front of a bunch of fans who enjoy and vibe with your voice/songs?

I don't know who or what I should believe.

We got the actual #1 pick ya'll. We got the guy I wanted from the very start.

I'm so excited for next season.

Name someone with a better face card.

Recent times have made people forget just how beautiful prime Nayanthara looked.

There was something so distinctive about her. Even with minimal styling, she could look so ethereal (like in the picture above).

This is the phase she looked better than ever, IMO.