South movies, especially Tamil and Telugu cinema have been relying more and more on including star actors in films just for a cameo role, setting up the stage, and garnering hoots. This trend of including easter eggs has been prevalent in Bollywood and Hollywood films over the years.
Various movies across industries have been resorting to using subtle or pop culture references in films which also includes using stars as a cameo for a particular awe-filled effect. However, does the ongoing trend in South cinema carry the same weight and are all filmmakers just doing it for the sake of cash grabs?
Why is the trend of using stars in cameos becoming popular in South movies?
In recent times, especially with films like Thalapathy Vijay’s The Greatest Of All Time aka The GOAT, and Suriya’s Kanguva, we saw stars like Sivakarthikeyan and Karthi in cameo roles. The trend of including stars in movies as cameo did not start suddenly with Rajinikanth’s Jailer having Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, and Jackie Shroff in special appearances.
See Rajinikanth starrer Jailer ShowCase here:
However, why is it that movies are using this trend of stars in cameo appearances in films that already have a big actor headlining it? Understanding it from a logical sense, the inclusion of an actor into the film’s narrative surely adds to more fan service than previously expected.
The popularity of a certain star in a big project only adds to the hype and expectations people have for a film. While audiences keep this in mind, fan theories and instances of the movie are created by the audience, keeping the film the biggest buzz of conversation among friends, families, or cine-goers.
The use of certain stars in a movie increases the expectations among people which is then also used by production companies as a tool of marketing the films. These production houses take on the use of stars appearing even for a minor scene in a movie to build an awe-filled moment in the movie, making it quite an enjoyable moment for the audience.
Examples of the same could be seen in various recent releases where the cameo promo materials are promoted more than what the actual would include. This also lends a stage for filmmakers and stars to cross-promote their own movies too, a situation where one does a favor for another, and vice-versa.
Ideally, this instance could also make up a moment for unification and a sense of camaraderie amongst the actors and filmmakers. Taking just the example of Jailer, the cameos by the superstars from other industries coming for a collaborative effort in another superstar-led movie unifies the regional industries. This also lends the film to a wider range of audience and a bigger theatrical release than envisioned earlier.
Now, this also boosts the use star value of a particular film by not overshadowing the actual star in the film either. Furthermore, some cameos in films are placed as a means of exploring a narrative bigger than what was expected. Some films, which are popularly becoming part of franchises often give this shock value of including stars by giving the audience a slight taste for it and making them want more in the sequel.
This latter aspect of a cameo makes the entire narrative of a film rather enjoyable than just simply placing a person in a scene out of the blue. For example, a movie like Jawan starring Shah Rukh Khan, includes an extended cameo of Deepika Padukone who becomes a crux for the movie and its plot.
Watch Jawan Prevue here:
The actress’ inclusion in the film did not feel like a last-minute ditch effort, an amateur way of garnering excitement from fans, nor just for the sake of SRK to dance with her in a single song. The narrative worked, embedding her character into the plot seamlessly. However, the same can’t be said about every cameo that has been used like this recently, making the stark contrast.
Are every star cameo in a film a necessity?
A simple answer to whether cameos by stars are necessary in a film would not be easy to make out. This is because the trend of cameos in a movie, be it for promotional purposes or narrative ones still manages to work and excite the audience.
Various talented filmmakers over the years have maintained the trend of using cameos in films sporadically which makes us anticipate with excitement. Some movies like Pushpa: The Rise and Kalki 2898 AD used stars like Fahadh Faasil and Dulquer Salmaan in cameo roles in hopes of bringing them back to later installments, which fits the narrative pov.
However, every trend reaches a certain saturation point, especially in films. When a large volume of movie makers decide to rely just on cameos and not the screenplay of the film, no superstar could swoop in and save the sinking ship. In this sense, cameo appearances that actually benefit the film like Rolex in Kamal Haasan’s Vikram would be enjoyed more by people than random placements.
See Kamal Haasan’s Vikram trailer here:
The impact of Suriya as Rolex in Vikram served a phenomenal impact on the audiences, despite having limited screen time. This effect was so much so that, the makers are even planning to make a standalone movie with the character.
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