WANT TO BE A CULT HERO? CONCENTRATE ON YOUR FLAWS

Attention aspiring actors! This one’s for you.

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought to yourself that you aren’t good enough to be on the big screen?

Have you that it wouldn’t hurt if you were a little fairer? A little taller? A little more muscular? That you could dance better?

If you have, then there’s reason to rejoice.

Warning- this article isn’t a self-help guide that will magically transform your physique or your extraneous abilities.

It is simply an observation.

Do you agree that down south, we’re not as judgmental as the rest of the world when it comes to the aesthetics of our actors?

Let’s start with our very own Superstar Rajinikanth. Let’s face it, he can’t dance, in the conventional sense. But he capped on the very same thing, didn’t try to change his ways, and today, he’s looked up to self-confessedly by dancing legends like Prabhu Deva. His accent too, popularly noted to be different from the conventional Tamil one that the audience were so used to hearing from their heroes. Although it had a Kannada tinge to it, we embraced it with open arms and it is now one of the things that contribute to his undying style.

You may argue that he’s got the natural charm. So, let’s take look at the case of Dhanush, who on contrary, started out without any of these things at the beginning of his career. But look at where he is now! Although his perseverance had a huge role in contributing to his success, another contributor is that he stayed true to himself and turned his flaws into his positives.

There’s Kamal Hasan, who is perfect in every way imaginable but has been drawing attention for his atheist beliefs and views opposed to the institution of marriage. However, over the years, it has become a part of his identity, setting him apart from the rest of the “perfects.”

And then there’s Ajith, who rose from with his remarks on wanting to be the next Superstar that garnered him attention and consequently, all that he wanted. With a loyal fan base today, he is where is he only because he ignored the haters, and said what he did, without a care in the world about what people would say. It was also widely noted that Ajith was often ill at ease during off-screen appearances, but he fixed that by putting out a statement that he didn’t want to be too available and send out the wrong message. And soon, he garnered a whole bunch of fans who admired him purely for his brazenness.

A tale of weakness turned to strength. Well played, don’t you think?

Why, take even MGR! He made no attempt to conceal his voice after he was shot!

The point here is, what sets us apart from the rest are not our abilities but our imperfections.

We loved Surya in movies like Nanda where he played the rugged rogue, but he seems to have lost his sheen over the years. We wonder whether it’s because he’s trying too hard to be perfect. Right from the kind of roles he has been choosing to trying not to look too short in front of his lady leads.

The reason these guys made it big is not because the audience fell in love with their imperfections. It’s simply because we fell in love with the righteousness with which they accepted embraced and confidently showcased their flaws!

So, the next time you think that you’re think you aren’t good enough, draw inspiration from these men who made it big, not despite imperfections, but with the help of them!