Response to ageing stars in Bollywood & South

I always wonder why's there so much difference in attitude towards ageing superstars in South, compared to ageing superstars in Bollywood.

How come viewers down South accept a 60 year old man as a hero, that too with girls young enough to be his daughters (and sometimes younger than his daughters)? They know how their Superstar looks like in real life and how this youthful persona in films, is all fake (methinks half the money in budget of those films goes into making the grandpa type actor look young!), those stunts etc. are all fake. Yet they lap it up like anything! Why?

Whereas in Bollywood, whispers about age difference start cropping up the moment an actor turns 40 and it reaches an all time high as he inches towards 50. Especially 50+ actors are laughed at, and nearly subjected to lynching in print if they continue to act as hero in their set romantic/angry man image (Sooryavansham, Lal Badshah types are legendary jokes).

We love Big B but I'm sure no one will accept him (even if he's made to look nearly like his self in 1980s atleast with all make up and technology in the world) as a lead hero, with a nubile 20 something girl as his heroine in a typical angry young man kind of film. While in South Rajinikanth goes ahead and gives Robot, Sivaji which end up as biggest hits.

As Bollywood audience we cringe at attempts like Cheeni Kum and Nishabd, puke at Wafaa. The closest we've accepted is a Baghban where both actors are playing their age and parent/grandparent angle is woven in (I'm sure it would have been rejected if it was just about oldies romancing each other).

Why this difference between Bollywood and South audience? How come fans down South never mind their Kamal Haasan or Rajinikanth playing heroes alongside Asins and Shriyas whereas Bollywood fans would declare the actor is suffering from delusions/crisis if a Bolly actor does the same after 50?

PS - I won't judge whether fans are right or wrong in accepting old man play young man roles. But the stark difference in audience response always surprises me, so I just felt like discussing why things are the way they are!

Wait Cheeni kum didn't make me cringe...it was a beautiful mature love story


As long as they have stories like that to tell with simplicity and class...I don't mind seeing an older actor romancing a younger actress

I didn't mean older actors romancing younger actress, but older actors playing heroes just like their heydays, in their youth the way, say, Rajinikanth does down South.

We don't accept our Bollywood stars like this. An Amitabh wouldn't get offered a Robot at 60 the way Rajini was, neither could he make it a hit the way Rajini did.

Personally, I find it amusing how people here complain about the Khans who are in the 40s but in the South, the leading actors are in their 60s.

^hmm yea I would want an actor to act their age...I guess many people agree with this opinion

It looks idiotic seeing a 60yr old act as 25
Every character has a age limit...and one should try to be as close to it while selecting the actors

Plus if all the oldies keep on playing all the roles...young an fresh talent will never get a chance

South Indians accept Rajnikant doing these roles because they love him irrespective of his age
I mean if in future Vikram or Vijay act like this...tamil audience will trash them too

Edited by abby_girl30 - 30 January 2013 at 1:14pm

And I find it odd how the people down South accept their actors playing conventional heroes even at 60.

The reasons behind difference in mentality and such difference in audience response - I'd like to know them, they make me curious!

In Bollywood, we also idolise our actors, but after a point we don't take to them playing their routine hero roles like they did in their heydays.

Are audiences/fans down South more obsessed with their stars than audience/fans in Bollywood, that they keep lapping up their star as a never-ageing hero?

Even though people call 40+ actors buddhas but still they get lead roles opposite young actresses.These actors themselves don't care if people talk about their ages because they are getting lead roles in movies and that's enough for them.They are still in demand.

Edited by sanju01 - 30 January 2013 at 1:36pm

@sanju01

The sheer difference in star system and public response in Bollywood and South has always intrigued me.

No matter how much we love an Amitabh or any Khan, we don't take to streets for them or pour milk on their posters and effigies - even at time of controversy to show support! I am not being judgemental on what people in South do, but I personally find it exaggerated/unnecessary - stuff like pouring milk on stars' posters or throwing flowers onscreen when the actor's name appears in credits or fans committing suicide themselves if a star dies. I've read of fans committing suicide at "failure" to get tickets of first day first show of their favourite star's film. And I think it's too much.

Bolly audience and fanatics do not go to this *this* extent for their stars.

Neither do we believe them as heroes onscreen even if they're 60!

How's audience down South so obsessive and worshipping of their stars? Amazing and curious!