Most talked about K-town actors of 2019

2019 was a busy year for the actors and their fans. While a huge number of films hit theatres this year, out of which some really stood out. Packed with powerful performances and some amazing acting talent, 2019 was a promising year. While some of the stars have been the talking point for their performance, other have been so for various other reasons. Here's a look at some of the most talked about stars this year.

When the rest of the nation was watching the swearing-in ceremony of the government at the centre, the state of Tamil Nadu prayed for the recovery of Nesamani. Contractor Nesamani, the fictional character played by Vadivelu in the 2001-film Friends, became such a worldwide trend that many social media users added the prefix Contractor to their names. The memes took a life of their own and the #PrayForNesamani hashtag became a trending topic worldwide.

Controversy’s favourite child STR continued to be one of the biggest newsmakers — for all the wrong reasons. This time around, a number of producers lodged complaints against STR at the Tamil Nadu Producer’s Council. The reason being the actor’s non-cooperation during shoots. He was even 'dropped' from Venkat Prabhu’s Maanaadu, and retaliated by announcing a new project titled Maghamaanadu. Later, efforts were on to bring him on board Maanaadu. Towards the end of the year, the actor took the spiritual route and went to Sabarimala.

Controversies are not new to actor Radha Ravi and this year, too, his derogatory speech at the press meet of Kolaiyuthir Kaalam received much flak after he slut shamed the film’s lead actress Nayanthara. Though he initially refused to apologise to Nayanthara for his lewd comments, the actor later said that if Nayanthara was hurt, he would apologise. He had also taken a dig at the #MeToo movement after he was accused of sexual harassment by women in the industry. Towards the fag end of the year, he joined the BJP.

There are not many actors who have been in the industry for over 60 years. But Kamal Haasan has had a great run in the industry as an actor right from his maiden venture as a child artiste in Kalathur Kannamma. With him completing 60 years in cinema, some of the most influential celebrities, including Rajinikanth, came together to honour the legend. The kick-starting of Indian 2, and his appearance on Bigg Boos, too, kept him in the news.

Meera Mithun was surely one of the most controversial celebs this year. The Bigg Boss Tamil contestant accused the show’s host Kamal Haasan of nepotism and alleged that fellow contestant, Cheran, had misbehaved with her. For the first time, police entered the house to question Meera, who was charged with a case of money laundering. And after she got out of the house, she made shocking allegations against Vijay TV and the Tamil Nadu Police. The actress was also stripped of her Miss South India title and the event's organiser alleged that Meera had tried to kill him. There were also allegations of Meera cheating other models.

The reclusive Nayan stood up against a veteran like Radha Ravi following his crass comment and was lauded for shutting down the actor, who has clout in various industry bodies. There was also a throwback video of the Lady Superstar hosting a segment on a local cable TV in Kerala during her early days that went viral. While some users were gushing about how she has come a long way since then, many others were amazed at the makeover of the actress since then, with some calling her journey inspirational.

Veteran actor and director Bhagyaraj hit headlines following his insensitive comments. At the audio launch of Karuthukalai Pathivu Sei, he said that women should also be blamed for sexual abuse incidents and rapes and that laying the blame on boys alone is unfair to them, particularly singling out the Pollachi sex abuse scandal. His comment received severe criticism and the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women issued a notice to him.

Playing a character much older than his real age, Dhanush won many hearts in the critically-acclaimed Vetri Maaran directorial Asuran. His performance as a middle-aged man was said to be one of his best ever. People across the country showered praise on the actor. Dhanush once again proved that he is an actor to watch out for. And Rowdy Baby from his last year's release, Maari 2, became the most watched Indian song on YouTube in 2019. Meanwhile, the constant buzz around the release of his Enai Nokki Paayum Thota also kept Dhanush in the limelight.

The quintessential playboy at the Bigg Boss house, Kavin had the ladies in the house constantly vying for his attention. The ‘love stories’ became much talked about on the internet so much so that the hashtags #KavinAtrocities and #KavinPlayboy often did the rounds. However, the girls maintained that Kavin was a genuine person. In the meantime, Kavin’s mother was arrested in a chit fund scam and the first thing that he did after he got out of the house was visit his mother.

The year might have started with the debacle Dev, but Karthi made a great comeback with Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Kaithi. The actor received rave reviews for his performance as Dilli, a murder convict out on a parole to meet his daughter. The actor’s performance was called terrific and natural. Even as he was basking in the rave reviews, the actor went on to sign Thambi with Jyotika, and Ponniyin Selvan with mentor Mani Ratnam.

Jyotika's film Raatchasi won accolades in Malaysia and the country’s education minister praised the team. Playing a mass hero-like avatar, Jyotika won many hearts. However, the Teachers’ Association demanded a ban on the film claiming it showed government teachers in a bad light. Jyotika was also seen in a completely different avatar in Jackpot.