Surya and Vikram, acclaimed actors and matinee idols in south India, will have unconventional Bollywood launches in the coming months and, in many ways, will try reversing southern male actors' no-show in Bollywood power lists. Ram Gopal Varma's Rakta Charitra, a hard-hitting take on faction feuds in Andhra Pradesh, is fast catching up on the internet. The trailer of the film (to be released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu), inspired by the life and times of two warlords and a history of clan violence, has generated a buzz that almost matches that of the season's other big release, Mani Ratnam's Raavan .
The films, apart from playing away from the tested trappings of Bollywood, also usher in two critically wowed actors and box office winners from the south. Surya's having a terrific run in Tamil, with his last two outings -- Aadhavan and Ayan -- turning out blockbusters, while Vikram, a national award-winning actor known for effectively balancing content and commerce, is looking to shed the blues from a lukewarm last release, Kandasamy.
Raavan, Rakta Charitra In Focus
The Bollywood launchpads for the two actors are relatively unconventional, considering that both Surya and Vikram play characters that are decisively darker than the fighting, dancing prototypes they largely reprise in Tamil. Raavan has Vikram playing the archetypal protagonist with a twist and in Rakta Charitra, Surya is the hardened criminal, plotting murders from his prison cell. Varma is clearly inspired here by Maddelacheruvu Suri, the gang leader with a history of feudal violence that culminated in the killing of Paritala Ravi (in the film, Vivek Oberoi plays a character inspired by Ravi).
Bollywood Is Tough Territory
Rajnikanth, one of India's biggest stars, and the much-awarded Kamal Haasan had ventured into Bollywood in the early 1980s. After huge initial successes, both returned to their comfort zones in Chennai. While Rajnikanth called the stint a "vacation" with no pressure of shouldering the films' fortunes (most of his Bollywood films were multi-starrers), Haasan couldn't find a slot in Hindi films from where he could play to his strengths.
Other major stars from the south, including Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh, have also failed to warm up to the Bollywood audiences. Mohanlal has played it smart and picked effective supporting characters, fetching him critical raves, but is still not considered a conventional Hero.
Surya, Vikram And Unlikely Superstardom
Surya and Vikram will probably be the first to acknowledge that they are not in line for Bollywood superstardom in the mould that defines the Khans and Kumars. But coming from an industry increasingly acknowledged for its fresh content and professionalism (Aamir Khan raved about Surya's performance in the original Ghajini in Tamil before signing on for a Hindi remake; Vikram is being touted as the actor to watch in Raavan), the two superstars will be looking at establishing themselves as actors of a pan-India relevance. They shouldn't be worried about generating mass appeal in the Hindi heartland. The appeal is strong and safe in their own den, back home.
Krishna Kumar - Senior journalist with more than 10 years' experience, on print and web. Has held senior positions in reporting and feature teams in ...
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