Next Gen - The Other Side

A few months ago, I wrote about the 5 young heroes who I thought had the best chance of making a mark in the next generation (as I mentioned, that is quite a volatile list since if I made it today, Karthi would definitely be on there!). Now here's the flip side of that list - the 5 heroes (only actors who have appeared in atleast a few movies were considered) who I think have the least chance of making it big in Tamil cinema.

5. Richard
Richard doesn't come close to invoking the kind of irritation that some other actors on this list invoke, but that is not always a good thing. Going to the other extreme, he is so bland that he is barely noticeable. With nothing either in looks or in talent to set him apart from other actors, his lack of charisma makes him disappear into the background, barely allowing him to make an impression on the viewers. So its no wonder that his co-stars(like Natraj in Naalai) steal the show away from him (you know there's a problem when even Shaam steals the show from an actor!). He still appears in the occasional film but without working on offering something that catches the eye, that situation will not change.

4. Jeevan
Jeevan's been quite lucky so far. Not particularly hero material, he got a shot at playing the hero in University and was noticed(though it was mostly via comments like "Oh my God! How did this guy become a hero?!"). Though he disappeared from the scene, he made a comeback as a really hateful villain in Kaakka Kaakka. And after another break, he notched up another hit playing an anti-hero in Thiruttu Payale. But I've always felt that he was rather stiff and credit for those performances actually went to the directors who fashioned the characters. Tall and lanky, he looks uncomfortable dancing and isn't particularly smooth in stunts either. So far, he has proved himself ready to take on negative roles but I don't think he will do another Satyaraj and make the transition to a successful hero.

3. Sibi
Its actors like Sibi who make us wish there was a law against nepotism in Tamil cinema. Making an entry solely because of his genes, the actor has since latched on to Satyaraj's coattails by having his dad costar with him in every other film to make his films saleable. Relying only on nakkal, in which he completely imitates his dad anyway, his performances so far have been uniformly lacklustre and boring. He went in for a change of image in Lee, playing the strong and silent type, but the movie only shows that he can't carry it off very convincingly (apart from his getup reminding us of T.Rajendar, which is never a good thing). He might still show up in a few movies courtesy his dad but unless he finds a niche for himself, his career isn't gonna last too long.

2. Ramesh
Ramesh had me scrambling for synonyms for the word 'wooden' when I saw him in Jery. And the surprising thing is, he wasn't too bad in his debut Jithan. But the idol he stumbled upon in that film, apart from making him invisible, seemed to have taken away his acting skills too! He was inexpressive and stiff in Jery and the fact that it was a comedy role that required a lot of energy only served to highlight his deficiencies. To complete the picture, he also has an irritating voice to match.

Ramesh hasn't appeared in as many popular movies as the others on this list and so many readers may not be familiar with him. For them, I present Exhibit 1. I rest my case!

1. Ravikrishna
There are few actors who earn our irritation just by appearing on screen and Ravikrishna belongs to that select club. He is no looker(the make-up he got in Ponniyin Selvan may have been a step up for him!) and it is doubtful if he would have gotten a role even as a comedian if not for his dad being a producer. And his voice... Most of our younger actors have a weak voice but Ravikrishna's voice is capable of making all the others seem like baritones. He has this strangely nasal voice that always makes him sound like he is whining, no matter what he says. With 2 left feet when it comes to dancing and really slow reflexes when it comes to fighting, he is as far away from being hero material as one can get. He has been lucky enough to land some good directors (Radhamohan for Ponniyin Selvan and now Mysskin too, I think) but that alone can't help him stick around for long.