Heroes and superstars

Shivaji and mgr
kamal hasan and rajnikant
vikram and vijay

Any self respecting person in Tamil Nadu would know what the above pairs of names stand for. Only it was a surprise to me to see vikram and vijay occupying the slot. I have seen anniyan and am quite a convert to vikram's acting and screen presence.He stays in besant nagar where mom stays,She keeps giving bits of news about how he is the same man next door that he was before stardom;that he still stays in a rented apartment; that he is a darling of the local autorickshawallahs and he also helps them a lot.All of which did not diminish his image.
Now we have this comparison;which means vikram has to do take extra effort everytime because that is what the public expect of him. And all the vijay has to be is do the same formula role movie after movie, because he has become a superstar.
And then i got the definition of superstar in tamil filmdom. You dont change your profile;you stick to the tried formula of a do gooder; have a few tricks up your sleeve which the audience expects and give it to them. Never ever try anything different.
Obviously vikram has done the sin of doing different kinds of roles; he was venerated when he was the angry young man taking on the BIG BADDIES in Saamy and another movie(forget the name)But in anniyan he is taking on the common man;so he has left the movie goer confused.
So to thrive in the business, he has to don newer and more challenging roles each time, like his predecessors, shivaji and kamal hasan. Was struck by the comparison and seemingly apt one at that.
Yes, i agree not everyone can do the same thing movie after movie ;unless of course you are the chosen one!