Remember how Amitabh Bachchan played second fiddle to Rajesh Khanna in medical drama “Anand”? The film changed the course of Amitabh's career – which, at that point, comprised a dozen damp squibs – and catapulted him into the big league and eventually turned him into the industry's next superstar - after Rajesh Khanna.
Another living proof is Manoj Bajpayee. The actor witnessed overnight stardom with the release of 1998 crime thriller “Satya”. Director Ram Gopal Varma had pitted Manoj, then a newcomer, against the film's lead actor D. Chakravarthy in a negative role, but the former hogged all the limelight for playing Bhiku Mhatre with aplomb, thus casting a shadow over the male lead.
Today, Manoj has carved a niche for himself as one of the most versatile actors in filmdom.
Having said that, actors are often seen buckling under less important second fiddle baggage, and losing out on meaty roles because they somehow get typecast.
So it's not about whether it is a lead role or second lead. The moot point is whether the role is relevant to the script.
One can't deny that people often come to theatres in hordes to watch big stars like Salman Khan or Hrithik Roshan or Deepika Padukone, but when the story unfolds in front of them, the way other actors' characters are placed in the plot and how honestly they essay it, decides their fate.
