When Vettaiyan director compared Big B- Rajinikanths's work style

It’s not every day that Indian cinema’s two biggest legends, Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth, share screen space — and when they do, it becomes a moment etched in cinematic history. While Vettaiyan marked a grand reunion of the megastars after 33 years since Hum (1991), an old interview of director TJ Gnanavel is resurfacing, giving fans a peek into their drastically different approaches to acting — and it’s as entertaining as it is insightful.In the throwback conversation during Vettaiyan’s promotional run, Gnanavel hilariously compared the acting styles of the two icons, calling Amitabh Bachchan the "first bench student" and Rajinikanth the "last bencher."“Bachchan sir is a first bench student, Rajini sir is a last bench student,” Gnanavel quipped, setting the tone for what would be a delightful insight into their working patterns.He recalled how Big B would arrive on set armed with preparation, often calling the director a day in advance to discuss every nuance of the scene.“He will make us feel tensed on the first day. He’ll call me, make me sit, and go over the scene in detail. He’ll ask questions like a student preparing for an exam the next day,” Gnanavel had said, clearly amused and awed by the superstar’s dedication.But with Thalaivar, the vibe was completely different.“If you take the scene paper to Rajini sir on the day of shoot, he’ll casually say, ‘Let’s see it during the shot’.”The director admitted it was both stressful and fascinating to juggle two completely different schools of acting on the same set.

He even joked about Big B’s level of prep being “difficult to travel with” because of the pressure it puts on the team:“It’s tough to travel with students who study well. He takes the scene paper home, comes fully prepared. You can keep any shot ready the next day, and he’d deliver the dialogue with full command.”Interestingly, Gnanavel once vented to Bachchan’s manager, asking why the actor “tortured” him with constant preparation demands.“His manager just smiled and said, ‘Every day, he’ll do this drama. Every director complains.’”The viral snippet not only reminds fans of the discipline and spontaneity that define both megastars, but also of the sheer legacy they bring to the screen — even after decades in the industry.

With Vettaiyan, fans were treated to the magic of Bachchan and Rajinikanth once again — two towering figures, united by cinema, divided only by their classroom archetypes.