Vijay and Ajith - diametrically opposite

By Behindwoods News Bureau.
December 26, 2007

The two stars vying for the superstar status are Vijay and Ajith. Both Vijay and Ajith have carved a niche for themselves with a loyal fan following that they managed to garner over the years. While Ajith is commonly referred to as Thala by his fans, Vijay is called Ilaya Thalapathi.

Here’s an analysis of how the year 2007 has been for these two stars. This year seems to have been a mixed baggage for both these actors. To put things in the right perspective, let us analyze their films from the beginning of the year. It began with Vijay’s Pokkiri pitted against Ajith’s Aalwar. While Pokkiri went on become one of Vijay’s biggest hits, Aalwar bit the dust, as it was just another run-on-the-mill Ajith movie offering nothing new for his fans. This phase was followed by a long absence of both these stars.

Then Ajith returned in an all-new avatar in Kreedom, which was critically acclaimed and was lauded for his restrained performance. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t go down well with his fans, as it didn’t have all the elements that were usually expected in Thala’s film. The director even tried to change the climax of the movie a few days after it was released but it was a little too late as by then it was rejected by his fans as being too serious and not masala enough.

Come deepavali and it was time again for a clash between the two actors. Vijay’s Azhagiya Tamil Magan had Rahman’s music and a dual role for him. To match this, Ajith’s Billa a remake of the 1980 Rajinikanth hit was getting ready with a stellar cast and dashing promos. Call it fate or destiny, ATM made it alone to the theatres but wasn’t able to capitalize on it; blame it on the bad script or poor direction.

The industry was pinning its hopes on Billa, which after many obstacles finally made it to the theatres on December 14, 2007. It couldn’t have given the box office a better reason to smile and end the year on a high. Billa finally did to Ajith, at the end of the year, what Pokkiri did to Vijay at the beginning. Good fortunes and luck couldn’t have struck them at diametrically opposite times of the year.