In a recent interview, Ram Gopal Varma opined that a character like Bhikhu Mhatre can be essayed by Manoj Bajpayee but not by Rajinikanth. "Acting is about a character, star is about a performance. And there is a lot of difference between the two," he told a portal. Bhikhu Mhatre is the name of Manoj's character from Satya.
RGV's provocative comments about Rajiniknath didn't stop there. He added that it wouldn't be possible to watch him without slow-motion shots in movies. Varma is known for making controversial remarks but this one is ridiculously unsubtle. One can ask him these questions:
1. Can you watch Manoj reprising Rajinikanth in a film like Thalapathi?
2. Can you watch Manoj in 2.5-hour-long movies, year after year, in 170 movies?
3. How many times in his career has Manoj been exceptional versus Rajinikanth being exceptional?
A lot of the time, a section of the elite among the audience hold Naseeruddin Shah in high esteem and look down upon, say, an Amitabh Bachchan or a Chiranjeevi. That is probably because Shahs and Prakash Rajs of the world never acted in 150 movies whose run-time is 150 minutes.
