Topic started by Raghu (@ cache-mtc-af05.proxy.aol.com) on Mon Apr 15 23:04:15 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Everyone knows when it comes down to it, these two guys are the best actors in India. My question-- who is the better actor?
My Choice: Mohanlal....i know this will be unpopular with many of you, but hes natural, hes got range, and every one from Mani Ratnam to Priyadarshan to Ram Gopal Varma calls this guy the best India has.

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Arjun (@ 202.144.77.177) on: Sun May 12 10:03:46
  
  Is the topic about giving hits in other languages? I thought it was about talent.
  
  
• From: Rajiv Menon (@ 61.11.82.130) on: Sun May 12 11:01:31
  
  Hey when u guys say Mohanlal is natural I dont get you. Its not Mohanlal who is natural but it is malayalam movies which are natural. They make natural movies with down to earth characters and ordinary storylines. In tamil glamour and other things are necessary to carry a film. Dont blame Kamal for this.
  
  Mohanlal sure cant do a swati mutyam, Pushpak ( definitely not), Hey Ram, Avvai Shanmugi.
  
  May be to know who is the better actor, we should make a movie with the same story line two times and make these two great actors do the same roles and see who is good. Kamal may do it in his own style and Mohanlal in his own. Remember both artists have respect for each other. Moreover its not Mohanlal who puts money in cinema. Kamal has lost more money than Mohanlal in cinema.
  
  Kamal is the best with Mohanlal coming second.
  
  
• From: Rajiv Menon (@ 61.11.82.130) on: Sun May 12 11:04:03
  
  More over National Awards nowadays are nothing but mere Politics. Even in this Politics plays a big role.
  
  
• From: kajan (@ wc05.ym.rnc.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Sun May 12 15:52:19
  
  San,
  
  Did he tell that way ? I also read the interview. I can remember he was not offered like Mani's Iruvar.
  
  Meanwhile if politics plays in deciding awards, how can Mohanlal from Kerela ( similar to Kamal from TN ) win many awards ?
  
  and i learn that nowadays some tamilians also represent as members of the group.
  
  
• From: Rakesh (@ acab2f99.ipt.aol.com) on: Sun May 19 23:46:38
  
  Im with you Arjun. Its about talent, and Mohanlal is the superior.
  
  
• From: Sumesh (@ acab2f99.ipt.aol.com) on: Mon May 20 00:03:21
  
  Im tired of hearing that Mohanlal cant do Kamal's roles. Not only can he do them, he can outdo Kamal. I would love to see Kamal ham it up in Vanaprastham or Kireedam or even attempt to approach Iruvar with the myriad emotions that Mohanlal expresses. Kamal cant do this without showing a visible trace of how much he forces his performances; as if he is a tad constipated. As for the person who said Mohanlal doesnt have a hit in any other language while Kamal rules all languages, you obviously havent seen Company (or Abhay for that matter) and how well its been doing. The reason he doesnt do many languages is not because he is unable to (as he has vividly proven in Iruvar and Company) but because he likes to stay true to his native Malayalam and trusts himself in that domain. That is admirable to say the least. It is exactly why most of you are staying true to Kamal- he is a Tamilian like many of you after all. As for money, it has nothing to do with talent; box-office collections can not measure an actors' ability. The truth is simply that Mohanlal is on a different league than Kamal. He should be compard to actors like Naseeruddin Shah/Om Puri in India and Robert De Niro/Marlon Brando on the world stage.
  
  
• From: Khasakh (@ 61.11.81.65) on: Mon May 20 02:32:19
  
  yeah dude. can't figure out this very idea of comparing kamal haasan with mohanlal. because it's a no-contest. lal wins, hands down. he is a brilliant actor and not a fancy make-up artist.
  
  
• From: viko (@ cache6.156ce.scvmaxonline.com.sg) on: Mon May 20 02:32:49
  
  i agree with sumesh
  kamal is in a different league compared to mohanlal
  kamal is in a better one of course
  
  
• From: Sayeed (@ 61.11.78.28) on: Mon May 20 06:12:42
  
  See Onnaman and see how Lal Hams. Terrible movie and Lal is a total let down in the movie.
  
  
• From: Sayeed (@ 61.11.78.28) on: Mon May 20 06:15:04
  
  Kamal is way beeter artist than Lal. For your information Kamal was to do Iruvar ( Prakash Raj's ) role in Iruvar but it fell of due to monetary reasons. I am sure had he acted in Iruvar he would have outshined Mohanlal.
  
  
• From: Nane than (@ 203.197.138.199) on: Mon May 20 07:38:34
  
  Yesterday one more time i've seen Guna Movie..what a splendid performance by kamal..His acting is simply great inthat film..Mohanlal is also a great actor..but my vote is for Kamal only
  
  
• From: mohanlal fan (@ dialup-209.245.118.191.dial1.weehawken1.level3.net) on: Mon May 20 16:20:16
  
  you guys
  
  see malyalam movies which mohanlal acts
  man u would never say kamal is better
  his jokes are so natural
  u would luagh till u die if u understand malayalam
  kamalhasan is good but not as good as mohanlal
  
  mohanlal is not glamorous or anything that is the only fault
  but his movies depict real life
  unlike tamil movies
  
  
  
• From: a rajini fan (@ cache.zyberway.com) on: Sun May 26 15:41:01
  
  kamal is nowhere near mohanlal.he can never do a kireedom(mohanlal) or an inspector balram(mammootty) as well as they did
  
  
• From: Kajan (@ wc05.ym.rnc.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Sun May 26 17:39:38
  
  Do u hear that Mohanlal in Tamil film directeed by Nazar ?
  
  
• From: valsan (@ ac8fe0f2.ipt.aol.com) on: Sun May 26 19:14:54
  
  You guys please remember lal's performance in Kireedom,Bharatham,Thaalavattom,Thoovanathumbikal,Ulsavapittennu .....
  
  
• From: Avinesh (@ 61.11.80.6) on: Sun May 26 23:19:23
  
  Kamal is better. This comes form an ardent Mohanlal fan.
  
  
• From: Neeraj (@ spider-mtc-tc071.proxy.aol.com) on: Fri May 31 01:27:48
  
  avinesh, if you are an ardent mohanlal fan like you claim, you need a true blue awakening if you're telling me kamal is a better actor
  
  
• From: Suraj (@ spider-mtc-tc071.proxy.aol.com) on: Fri May 31 01:29:41
  
  Sayeed, Kamal couldn't even do a better job than Prakashraj did as Tamil Selvam in Iruvar, so he couldn't possibly outshine an actor like Mohanlal...Monetary concerns my foot, Kamal stays away from actors (unless its a movie farce like Tenali or a film where his face is on screen without rest for three hours like Hey Ram) that can outshine him...and Sayeed, really, if you're going to judge Lal by a movie as obviously terrible as Onnaman, (the kind of typical role he has been forced into in recent times) then why not judge kamal by taking a look at Abhay, his latest disaster?
  
  
• From: Vinod (@ 192.60.131.102) on: Fri May 31 14:27:28
  
  
  I'd like to add my view too .. i am a Mallu/Tamil guy , so we generally watch tamil & malayalam movies at home .. and i have seen a fair share of both kamal and mohanlal movies ...
  
  Firstly, both actors are considered as best because both can do a variety of roles .. Both of them can do serious and comedy roles with ease ( Mohanlal doing comedy is known only when u see Mallu movies) ..
  
  One subtle difference between them is that Mohanlal is more subtle when expressing emotions. a sad scene for eg. Mohanlal can make you cry without crying.. whereas Kamal sometimes tends to overact ( Please note.. i say "sometimes" .. no one can point out one mistake in his performace in "Mahanadi" etc... )
  
  But there are other things that come into picture.. Kamal's dance .. his singing skills , his stunts . Kamal excels in doing different roles..
  
  So, if you ask who is better in acting i would say Mohanlal.. but who is a complete actor - the answer is Kamal !!!
  
  i know many wont agree.. but thats my view !
  
  -Vinod
  
  
• From: Ramesh (@ 61.11.82.178) on: Sat Jun 1 07:05:03
  
  Both Mohanlal and Kamal are great actors. Both are in different languages. Malayalam films are more natural and simple. Its very difficult to say who is the better actor. Both Mohanlal and Kamal have given tremendous performaces and horrible performances. Kamal excelled in Hey Ram, Avvai Shanmugi, Guna, Moondram Pirai, Sigappu Rojakkal, 16 vaiyuthinile, Sagara Sangamam, Pushpak etc. where as he did a terrible job in Abhay, PKS, Kadhala Kadhala. The same goes to Mohanlal. He excelled in movies like Kireedam, Kanmadam, Vanaprastham, company and did ham in movies like Onnaman, Narasimham.....
  
  
  
  
  
• From: vanchi (@ 203.199.234.252) on: Thu Jun 6 14:02:51
  
  hats off to vinod who has exactly poured out my ideas too. vinod please note the fact the lal has also started giving playback voices for songs apart for his own voice. catch up the song by lal for abbas in "kannezhuthipottumthottu" - kaithapovil.. - song was a superhit. it suited well. guys watch for lal's national award winner "Bharatham" wherein he has lived up to the character - a film that will make me cry ( anyone ) and please watch out for the song "ramakatha" in the film - fully karnatic based rendered by k.j.yesudas and lal's lip movements to it. marvellous. simple acting.
  
  guys i remember kamal's "salangaioli" - excellent.
  
  both are equal. have expelled themselves in their respective state. lal has limited himself whereas kamal has exposed to the world.
  
  watch out every karnatic based song of lal - his movements none can match
  
  
• From: Rakesh (@ dialup-64.152.165.1.dial1.newyork1.level3.net) on: Mon Jun 10 18:28:34
  
  Vanchi, I agree with you in nearly every aspect except two: 1) lal is a better actor, like vinod said, while kamal experiments more. 2) lal has exposed himself to the world (Iruvar, Kalapani) as much as kamal if not more...Vanaprastham got universal acclaim from New Dehli to Los Angeles to Cannes, where a European director saw lal's performance and told him that he was born in the wrong part of the world... but Vanchi, I totally agree with you when u say mohanlal is exceptional at moving his lips and body to the subtle rhythms of carnatic music...
  
  
• From: Vinod (@ 192.60.131.102) on: Tue Jun 11 18:37:19
  
  Rakesh,
  
  I feel Vanchi is right about his lip syns and body language while he sings.. see the movie Bharatham .. u will know why he says that .. and with respect to Lal singing songs.. NO COMMENTS !!!
  
  
• From: geetha (@ acac7834.ipt.aol.com) on: Wed Jun 12 00:30:04
  
  This discussion is a total waste,, first of all never ever compare kamal with some cheap actor alright. i am not against with mohanlal. Come on guys,, Kamal is a living legend.. Are you all mayalam here?
  NO ONE CAN ACT LIKE KAMALKASSAN. once again i am not fan of kamal. i am writing the truth and the reality here.. mohanlal is a piece of cake when compared to kamal.
  
  
• From: Vinod (@ 192.60.135.10) on: Wed Jun 12 14:04:44
  
  Wait a minute Geetha ..How many Malayalam movies have u seen ??? i mean Mohanlal's ... i dont disagree when u say Kamal is a living legend ..
  but, when there is a comparison between 2 people, u have to comment only if u know the merits/demerits of both of them ... and Mohanlal is no piece
  of cake ..
  
  
• From: Prakash (@ ac9f4635.ipt.aol.com) on: Thu Jun 13 01:26:06
  
  totally agree vinod..geetha, your remarks were slanderous at best...mohanlal is a living legend as well, and the point of this thread is to compare and discuss the two
  
  
• From: tamilan (@ 195.229.240.242) on: Wed Jun 19 08:14:15
  
  geetha is blind fan of kamal. she can't understand what we are discussing . i just request geetha to ask your kamal about mohan lal .
  
  
• From: rajjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj (@ zmapxypro03-b.zma.compaq.com) on: Fri Jun 28 14:38:30
  
  helllooo geethaa
  Better u see malayalamm movies and decide
  hahhaha
  
  
  
  

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