Game Changers: Top Actors
In a galaxy full of stars, Indian film heroes are like supernovas. They don't need satellites revolving around them. They're giants who expand and usurp space at will. Others merely reflect their heavenly aura and wait with anticipation for the next big expansion. Even when they die, they leave behind a black hole of historic proportions. Fact is, our star actors are the beacons of our lives. They are the sum total of our dreams. You can't talk business without their approval. For they are the centre of our universe. Oh and changing business modules is child's play for them. Asking huge profit shares, fat pay checks, generating '100 crores at the box-office, the actor is the boss. It's safe to say that our industry is dependent on its heroes. These are the game changers.
Aamir Khan - Indian IdolThe film industry might as well honour him with a doctorate for marketing films. And then add in another special honour for Humanitarian exellence. Aamir Khan is that small little man with a really big brain. Some times we think we want to put a straw in that head and suck out some genuisness for ourselves. He's someone who has upped the level of Hindi cinema both in content and business. He quenched the insatiable Indian thirst for the Academy Award. Well almost. Lagaan didn't win the Oscar but the nomination was enough to put Hindi cinema on the international circuit. If there's an ISI mark for acting chops, it inevitably is Aamir Khan. Aamir Khan films mean big business too. His last four films have earned approximately '890 crore worldwide. Today, people refer to him as a marketing guru, all thanks to his varied promotional gimmicks during the release of Ghajini and 3 Idiots. But not many know that he took to the streets and hung out at traffic signals with the posters of his first film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. The seeds of the marketing genius were sown back then. While other actors on television are all about song and dance, he made a thought provoking debut with Satyamev Jayate.
Shah Rukh Khan - Khan and able
KKK... Kiran he said and changed the game forever. Anti-heroes weren't considered cool till SRK came on the scene. Like Darth Vader, he made people fall in love with the dark side. He showed his peers that they can take a break from dancing around trees and revel in being red-blooded characters. He made the metrosexual look in vogue and had the NRI audience lap up his films in droves. Producers lined up in their mercs outside his house to cast him as they wanted a sure-fire overseas hit. He brought romance back in movies and made people believe once more in shooting stars, golden sunsets and Swiss Alps. Swades and Chak De! India showed us that there was much more to him than mere mush. That there is method in his madness. His items numbers, such as Ishq kameena from Shakti - The Power or Dard-e-disco from Om Shanti Om create as much buzz as the Chikni chamelis or Munnis of femme fatales. But his biggest game changing move is the feel-good factor of his films. He makes sure that we are awash with good vibes during the time we spent with him on screen and come back with happy memories.
Salman Khan - Rockstar
Amitabh Bachchan - The masterSexy Sam at 70 is hotter than any other Indian man on the planet. With 4.6 million followers, his alter ego Amitabh Bachchan is the wizard of Twitter. Much ahead of the current superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. His Facebook page has a 3.7 million fan base and is the celebrity page in world entertainment. His blog on Tumblr is the most followed blog, so much so its become a farm for tabloid journos' leads. The Indian entertainment industry feeds off him. Because Amitabh Bachchan is the name of the reinvention game. Hit reality and game shows with movie stars on TV are spawnlings of Kaun Banega Crorepati. We're still trying to start a trend as phenomenal as the angry young man. We're sure we'll be vegetables by the time we reach the age when Mr Bachchan played game changing parts in films like Black and Paa. He combines the superstar aura with literary eloquence. And he can teach contemporary stars a thing or two about discipline and respect. He's not just superstar of the millennium, he's man of the millennium.
Ajay Devgn - Roar baby roarHe broke the rules with his first film. He wasn't the conventionally good-looking boy, he didn't know how to shake a leg; yet he made it large. Over two decades in the industry, he's proved to be the ultimate dark horse. While others were busy enticing the NRI crowd and multiplex audience, he used his buffed muscles to connect with the rural crowd and became the poster boy of middle-of-the-road cinema. Versatility is his middle name. Whether it's serious dramas like Gangajal and Apaharan, action films like Singham or comic capers like the Golmaal series and Bol Bachchan, Ajay Devgn's charisma remains unbeatable. His films off-late have cruised into the '100 crore club making him the most bankable star of his time. While popular belief would suggest that the Khans and the Kapoors enjoy the creamy layer, they haven't been able to stifle Devgn's roar. 2013 begins with Himmatwala and judging by the buzz around the promos, the original tiger is back to claim his territory.
Hrithik Roshan - Another new dawn
Hrithik Roshan performed at this year's Filmfare Awards and the entire world went ballistic. The social media slipped into a tizzy and Hrithik Roshan instantly started trending. Women "virtually" threw their undergarments as they saw him perform. That's the craze this man generates. But what's new in that? The year was 2000 and Shah Rukh Khan was the undisputed king. There seemed to be no one who would challenge King Khan. And then Hrithik debuted and changed the game. Since then, Hrithik has reinvented himself time and again. Koi… Mil Gaya is one of the best sci-fi films to come out in our theatres. His special child act in the film won him praise and he became the 'actor' to watch out for. He upped the sci-fi genre once again with India's first quality superhero film Krrish. With Dhoom 2, he got sexy back. He became the stuff of wet dreams and our actors rushed to get six-pack abs. It's uplifting to see a shy and reticent guy, marred with disabilities emerge a superstar. His films are no longer just films. They are events. His last two films Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Agneepath had the cash registers ringing loudly. Great looks, fantastic body, impeccable acting skills and amazing dancing abilities; Hrithik Roshan is the blueprint of the ultimate Hindi film hero.
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