The most popular star of 2009 without any doubt! Two full fledged entertainers – one was immensely enjoyable (Ayan) while the same cannot be said about the other (Aadhavan). After 2008 where we saw him try a bit more heavy duty stuff playing father and son in a story of relationships (Vaaranam Aayiram), this year it was time to see him as the young man who loves to live life to the fullest, no inhibitions. The films were a reflection of this attitude and the audiences too felt the infectious energy that he brought onto screen. For playing to the galleries and pleasing the crowd like no one else has done in 2009, Suriya finds his place in the list of top performers of the year. Of course, we also hope that he alternates between commercial and intelligent films in the years to come.

The faith, conviction, energy and effort that goes into a performance always shines through in Vikram, you can feel the earnestness with which a role has been taken up. Kanthaswamy was no different. As the CBI officer during the day and as the crusader of the night, he was in top gear. The suave and stylish body language of the officer, the strut and the ‘cocky’ attitude of the superhero, the grace when he was dressed up as a lady and the senility when he appeared as the aged man were hallmarks of an actor who knows what he is doing. It was great to see a star going all out to make a role as compelling and complete as possible.