KATHTHI - Ilayathalapathy VIJAY | ARM | SAMANTHA|ANIRUDH

[uruzalari]

Full Definition of SUPERSTAR
1
: a star (as in sports or the movies) who is considered extremely talented, has great public appeal, and can usually command a high salary
First Known Use of SUPERSTAR
1924

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superstar

Ajay/Vinod, there can be oorukku naalu superstar if its simply referring someone as per the above definition, no argument there !!

But sadly in the context of tamil/hindi films, Rajini pretty much owns the 'superstar' title and gave it a different spin - something along the lines of the most popular/stylish hero .... the issue now is claiming or usurping the 'title' currently held by Rajini. What is then the necessity for the ‘next superstar' poll between Ajith and Vijay !! Engae dhan konjam iddikudhu It could have simply been a poll for the most favorite star or for the most popular celebrity or even the ‘azhagiya tamil magan’ title

Imagine what MGR would have done if there were a poll for the next ‘Makkal Thilagam’ .. I doubt anyone would take that chance even today!

The prominent titles are mostly retired .. and maybe there could be something like iLLaya superstar or iLLaya-iLLaya thalapathi later on ....

That is precisely the point. Rajini has definitely made the title his own. But what people are pointing here is that the title can be looked as generic too. Just imagine this. Rajini would have still been Rajini even with some other title. As it was pointed let's say 'Thalapathi'. I am sure there would have not been a poll titled who is the 'Next Thalabathy'. This 'Next Superstar' polls and competitions and whatever are only to try and prove who is the 'numero uno' of the masses.
Even if you take these polls the first edition will mostly have something on the lines of 'Yesterday MGR,today Rajini ,tomorrow ???? '. So the competition is not who is next Rajini. It is who is the man of the masses today (or probably tomorrow) just like what MGR was and Rajini is. So the issue is not claiming Rajini's title as you pointed here.

My take is that the term superstar definitely brings Rajini to my mind given the proper context. So these two statements are completely true in their own context.

Super star Rajini and Ulaga Nayagan Kamal graced the occasion.

The super stars of the film industry i.e. Rajini, Chiranjeevi and Amitabh graced the occasion.

We simply cannot argue here that how can you call Chiranjeevi a superstar when he is actually a megastar.


The next argument would be if superstar can mean multiple persons then why the 'Next Superstar' competition as if it can go only to one person. The catch here is that the title to Rajini has fortunately/unfortunately been one that can be looked on as you see it. There is no denying that these polls are indirectly about who is the next Rajini. But these things would have been there even if it was someone instead of Rajini. Whether you agree or not someone will be the numero uno soon. Let's not get into another argument here. Let it be either Ajith or Vijay. Tomorrow there will never be a poll who is the next 'Thala' or'Ilaiya Thalabathy'. It will most probably again be 'Next Superstar'.