An actor's physical movements, especially their hands, play a part in enhancing their expressiveness and ability to portray their character's intentions and thoughts. Famous Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski once emphasised the aforementioned. Renowned playwright and entertainer George M Cohan once said to legendary actor Spencer Tracy, "Do not be a lazy actor. Do not start hiding your hands." Actor Vishnu Vishal, the star of the upcoming thriller Aaryan, also highlighted the importance of this physical element in acting in a recent interview with Sudhir Srinivasan. Vishnu spoke about how Rajinikanth uses his hands to help make his characters more stylish and sometimes to enhance his emotive range. He said that Rajinikanth places his hands above his shoulders, especially in close-up shots. "More than his face, it is his hands that are always doing something. Now, that is very difficult to do," Vishnu observed.
Vishnu added that it took him time to realise that this is what Rajinikanth has been doing for years and that too "without making it awkward". He also underscored how the superstar used his hands to convey his emotions at the same time as his character cries in 1995's blockbuster film Baashha. "That is very difficult to do, because the hands are doing fast movements but what he shows on his face is very emotional. This is something that I have been learning over a period of time," said the Ratsasan star.
The actor's observations about Rajinikanth's acting serve as a counterpoint to those who criticise the same and highlight only the latter's stardom.
Vishnu will next been seen in director Praveen K's Aaryan, alongside Selvaraghavan, Shraddha Srinath, and Maanasa Choudhary, among others. Aaryan is slated for an October 31 release in theatres.
