More Chances Please...

Last week, I wrote about actors who I thought had little chance of sticking around for the next generation of Tamil cinema. That was a fun article to write but I'd be the first to accept that it was also a little mean-spirited. After all, its not very nice predicting the ends of actors' careers. So to make amends, I thot I'd write about something more positive today.

Tamil cinema is pretty mean to its actors and actresses. It doesn't take a lot for a performer to get the 'jinxed' label and lose out on chances. In our hero-centric industry, actresses have to depend on things like their chemistry with the hero and the success of their films together with the hero rather than their own talent. So its not surprising that Tamil cinema is filled with deserving actresses who never made it big. Looking at just the last few years, here are 5 actresses who I think deserved another chance or better breaks.

Sneha
My vote for the best actress working today goes to Sneha. Homely, beautiful and completely natural when it comes to performing, she is one actress who can make us forget that she is acting. But she has never gotten her due. She got great roles in films like Parthiban Kanavu and Autograph and has been paired with top stars like Kamal(Vasoolraja MBBS) and Vijay(Vaseegara). But though she has been around for a while, she has never made it to the big league. She has been considered an unlucky actress for most of her career since her films with stars like Vijay and Ajith(Janaa) flopped. Not being particularly suited to glamor and without many woman-centric roles available to make use of her talent, she is all but out of Tamil cinema with only a couple of movies(Naan Avanillai, Pallikkoodam) in her hand. Its definitely our loss...

Pooja
Pooja's position today is much better than it was a year ago but I think she deserves even more. She easily stole the show from heroine Amoga in Jay Jay but since the movie didn't do too well, she didn't make as big a splash as I thought she would. But unlike other actresses who completely disappeared after their first film, Pooja has managed to hang around and land some good films too. That by itself is proof enough that she has the goods. She too had the 'unlucky' tag but I'm hoping that recent hits like Pattiyal and Thambi have helped her throw off the tag so that she can land some big movies and really get noticed. We do need to see more of her...

Gajala
Very cute and pretty, Gajala has so far not managed to make it big. A big reason for that has to be her selection of movies. She shared the screen with Simran(never a good idea!) in Arjun's Ezhumalai and in University, it was the hero Jeevan who was more noticed (and not for the right reasons either!). Her lone hit so far has been Raam (and her character was probably the weakest part of that movie!) and that didn't help her much since she was reduced to playing the second heroine in an Arjun movie(Madrasi). With such a spotty resume, her career has never really taken off and like most heroines who can't make it big in Tamil or whose career in Tamil is all but over, she is headed towards Malayalam films. But I for one, wouldn't mind seeing more of her.

Madhumita
Looks and talent... One would guess that a girl with the combination of those two would do decently in Tamil cinema but Madhumita proved that that's not always the case. She was terrific in a very tough role in Kudaikkul Mazhai but her talent didn't open many doors for her. She was again great playing the headstrong girl in Amudhe but understandably, not many noticed her in that. Her career seems to have completely stalled after that and there's not much news about her. Wish she gets another break...

Chaya Singh
Chaya Singh's state is even sadder considering that her first movie, Thiruda Thirudi, was a hit. Having to fight with Dhanush for almost the whole movie, she was very funny and expressive, a rare feat for a debutant. But film's success did not help her career much and she quickly went from leading lady to item number girl in movies like Arul and Thiruppaachi. She doesn't seem to have any movies other than Solli Adippen(with Vivek) lined up and so her prospects look rather dim. Too bad...