From Rajinikanth's Kabali to Ajith Kumar's Nerkonda Paarvai, 11 times our stars stepped out of their comfort zones

It is not easy for established stars to break away from the regular, and deliver something fresh in terms of content and performance. Here's a selection of present-day matinee idols who did their best to not be boxed in stereotypes

It is not everyday that an actor becomes a star. It is rarer to see a star become Superstar. It becomes difficult to experiment. But sometimes, some stars do break away. Here are 11 Superstars who did

Over the past decade, the gamechanger in the career of the biggest Superstar of them all was Pa Ranjith's Kabali. Be it the politics or playing his age, this reinvention of Rajini was important

SJ Suryah's second coming as an actor has been a fruitful journey so far. After Iraivi, his villainous turn elevated his star status. But it was the cute Monster that endeared him to the masses.

Right from the time Naachiyar trailer dropped, everyone knew this was not the Jyotika they were used to watching on screen. There is something about Bala that makes actors comfortable experimenting.

Talking about Bala and an actor's willingness to experiment, Vishal gave it all in Avan Ivan. Audience straightened up and noticed the acting credentials of this Madhurakaaran.

It was a time when there was nothing Sivakarthikeyan could do wrong. His successes gave him the cushion to experiment with Raja's neatly packaged message film, Velaikkaran

Though many stars wore drag in films, not many seemed to be ready to play the role of a transgender person. In Kanchana, Sarath Kumar shines in the titular role

From headlining simple, non-complicated family entertainers, Jayam Ravi suddenly was thrown into the deep end of the pool in Peranmai that spoke about globalisation, representation and discrimination

Just a few films old, and also a heartthrob, Arya found himself playing an Aghori in the National Award-winning Bala film, Naan Kadavul. Well, talk about diversity.

Though Nayanthara had a golden run at the box-office with her big-ticket releases, and horror films, it is Aramm that reintroduced us to the potential in Nayanthara. Can't wait for the sequel!

Is there anything that Vijay Sethupathi says no to? One of the most important stars of this generation, his move to play the role of Shilpa was brave. He also faced criticism for it

Ajith has already stepped into Amitabh Bachchan's shoes once. That was for Billa, which cemented his superstardom. This time, it is NKP, where he puts that to good use, and talks about consent.