Despite Ajith's Thunivu having its moments, here's why his film Mankatha is trending big time on social media

The most-anticipated Ajith-starrer, Thunivu, directed by H Vinoth, hit the screens yesterday and is said to have grossed more than 20 crores in Tamil Nadu on day one. The film has its moments, thanks to the screen presence of the star which is driving his fans crazy.

It's been a while since he has played a character with grey shades, something he has done effortlessly a few times in the past. His free-wheeling portrayal of an unapologetic and smart bank robber has been winning appreciation from several quarters, though the film lacked a wholesome screenplay with compelling sequences at regular intervals.

The biggest mystery in the movie before its release was Ajith's character in it. The makers had unveiled the character names of every prominent artist in the movie, but the star's name was kept hidden during promotions. This led to a speculation that he is playing Vinayak Mahadev, his most-celebrated role in recent times from Mankatha, which was released in 2011.  

The Venkat Prabhu directorial had the actor essaying an unabashed anti-hero who goes to any extent to make money. Ajith's uber-cool appearance in the posters and promo videos of Thunivu escalated the expectations. However, Vinoth had no such plans and the audience got to know that it is an all-new character only when they watched the film.

A few of the star's fans were disappointed that makers of Thunivu did not capitalize on the craze for Vinayak Mahadev despite having a solid opportunity. Many started comparing Ajith's performance as a bad guy in both the movies, and Mankatha started trending in no time on social media.

The uniqueness of Mankatha was that the protagonist remained a monster till the end, something rare for a big star in Kollywood. However, in Thunivu, the protagonist starts delivering messages and becomes the voice of people in the latter half, diluting the devilish character arc which was present in the first half.