The fans of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have had a long-standing rivalry going between them. The fans of the former never accept the argument that Kamal is superior. The fans of Kamal mock Rajini for being "gimmicky".
Typically, this is the line Rajini's fans take: His performances feel lived-in and instinctive; he doesn't seem to be "acting". The character merges with his persona seamlessly. "Kamal would have made his businessman persona in Shivaji: The Boss inaccessible. But Rajini was awesome in the scenes where he encounters systematic corruption," a fan wrote.
Another Rajini fan added, "The thing with Kamal is that he could have simply been a director's actor like he was in Nayagan, Indian or Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu. But for him, a straightforward performance like the one by Rajini in Shivaji almost feels too generic, so he constantly looks to add a layer of loosudhithanam in his work."
Kamal's approach is seen as more studied and method-oriented, where the hard work and technique sometimes show. "All of that makes it feel less natural or even pretentious to critics of that style. Rajini reels it in and connects on a gut level," a Reddit user added.
