Looks like audiences are ready to see their heroes as villains
The superstars of K'town, who have always revelled in their larger than life screen image of being defenders of the wronged, have discovered being bad can be good as well.
Thala Ajith, shattered the formula in Mankatha, his 50 th film, as he essayed the role of a bad guy. Not only has the film broken records, but also Ajith's portrayal has gone down extremely well with his fans. Is Ajith a lone ranger in this industry, where actors follow a predictable path? Simbu, who came into his own with Manmadhan, where he plays a serial killer, says, "I think there is nothing damaging about doing a negative role. It all depends on how the actor carries himself on screen.
Manmadhan changed my innings in Kollywood. There is more scope for an actor in roles like this." Actors have time and again proved their versatility playing shades of grey.
Ajmal Khan in Ko almost stole the show from leading man Jiiva.
Vikram in Raavanan was the 'hero' all the way . It could either be that the audience is being more experimental or perhaps it is all about the packaging.
Director Pushkar of Oram Po and Va-Quarter Cutting says, "It's great that we're getting this depth in variety and I'm all for this trend.
However, one can't really go off mainstream demands. A film still has to fit the commercial format when you're working with a superstar so that audiences get something they are familiar with."Is it just a few who have the guts to be different? Actor Vaibhav, who shares screen space with Ajith in Mankatha says, "Before we started shooting, I asked Ajith sir if he was scared to play a negative role in his 50 th film. He told me that he had played a baddie in Vaali, which was a big hit. He was in fact looking to play a negative character when Mankatha came along. He was confident about the script and often asked us, 'Do I look like a villain'? But I believe the film worked because of Ajith Sir and his ability." So, looks like we may have some other heroes trying their hand at playing bad guys over good guys.