Does the term "mass hero" exist in Western Countries?
"Mass Hero" is a popular term in India, especially down south, which implies an actor who has the versatility to sing, dance, romance, fight, laugh, cry, make the audience laugh and cry, apart from great acting skills. And because of this "mass" appeal, they are idolised by hordes of fans and loved by the media.
I just want to know, whether or not "Mass Hero" is an already acceptable term in the West? If not, what is the equivalent term for "Mass Hero" in American and European countries?
Update: I'd like to clarify that this expression is limited to the scope of the cinematic world in my country and not real-life heroes.
- Superstar (similarly structured but more on point -- mass=>super and hero=>star)
- Megastar
- Icon
- Triple Threat (refers to one who is an exceptional singer, dancer, and actor)
The term "mass hero" in America and Britain isn't something people say or would readily understand to mean what you say it means.
I think I have heard the term used a few times or read it somewhere, but not very often. The adjective multitalented is broadly used to describe such a person who has multiple talents in various entertainment fields. The below example sentence fits in your context.
having several talents or skills: It seems like multitalented entertainer Paul McDermott - actor, singer, writer, TV host and director - has been around forever.
[Collins Online Dictionary]
You could use multi-talented/multitalented actor.
Neither specifically applies to the limited context given that is specific to the performing arts, but Renaissance Man or Polymath are the more general terms used in "Western Culture" for describing one with great versatility.
Polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, polymathēs, "having learned much"): a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas; such a person is known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.
Renaissance Man : A person with many talents or areas of knowledge
As other users have previously stated, the expression mass hero in the west does not carry the same meaning, or connotations that it does in India. In fact, when I first read the question title, I presumed it was a neologism for any of the following: war hero; national hero; the people's hero; or a term for the myriad of comic-book superheroes that populate the silver screen.
Mass hero (?)
A superhero is usually a fictional character with extraordinary abilities or powers, or a heroic person who has performed a very brave deed in real life, e.g. Police officers are the real superheroes.
On the other hand, a movie actor who sings, dances, plays a musical instrument, and knocks the audience's socks off whenever they appear on screen or stage, would rarely be called a hero; Benjamin Harman's triple-threat and Rathony's multitalented are idiomatic, and more appropriate expressions to use instead. There is however a third alternative:
- an all-round entertainer (or) actor (BrEng)
- an all-around entertainer (or) performer (AmEng)
- an all-rounder a person of wide-ranging skills or great versatility.
Examples from the net
- Bruce Forsyth is 80 - a man who can tell jokes, sing, dance, compere and act. But is the all-round entertainer a dying breed?
- Sammy Davis Jr. is almost certainly in the running of the greatest all around entertainer of all time.
- Most All-Round Talented Actors Ever (IMDb)
- His intense commitment to work—his desire to develop as an all-round actor and his focused determination to grow as a film star