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Ajith Kumar

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Ajith Kumar (Template:Lang-ta) (born 1 May 1971 in Hyderabad, Andra Pradesh, India) is an Indian film actor, considered one of the leading actors of the Tamil film industry. He began his career in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the psychological thriller Aasai (1995). A string of successful films followed established by Ajith

Often praised for his performances, he has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil, all three for films which showcaslugu]] film, Prema Pustagam in 1992, which remains his last direct Telugu film to date.

His first Tamil film Amaravathi, directed by then newcomer Selva, was an instant success and his voice was rendered by fellow actor, Vikram. After the release, Ajith whilst training for an amateur motor race, suffered a fall, injuring his back and underwent three major surgeries resulting in a bed rest for one and a half years. Following the injury in 1993, Ajith played a supporting role in the Arvind Swamy starrer, Paasamalargal, before appearing in a meaty role in the family drama, Pavithra, which featured him as an ailing patient shown maternal affection from Raadhika.

Romantic Hero (1995-2000)

During this period, Ajith came to be seen by the media as a promising romantic hero as Ajith overtook other established romantic heroes like Murali, Parthipan, Prashanth, Arvind Swamy, Karthik and Prabu in box office ranks in the ledgers of distributors. Also, Ajith gained a notoriety for his freewheeling interviews.

In 1995, Ajith was cast in his first blockbuster, Aasai which grossed $1 million at the box office. The film directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam, featured him in the lead role opposite Suvalakshmi. Agathiyan's Vaanmathi was also a musical hit and he later played the lead in Kalloori Vaasal co-starring Prashanth.

The very next year, Ajith's second blockbuster came in the form of National Award winning Kadhal Kottai, in which he reunited with Agathiyan. The film which told the tale of two people falling in unconditional love without seeing each other until the climax. The film grossed $2 million at the box office.

In 1997, he was cast in Amitabh Bachchan's first Tamil production Ullasam.

In 1998, Ajith was cast in Saran's Kadhal Mannan, with the "masala film" setting the foundations for an expanding fan base. Following films Aval Varuvala and Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen also became successes, with the latter featuring Ajith in a praised guest role.

In 1999, Sundar C's romantic drama Unnaithedi became a hit and set the tone for a series of quick victories. S. J. Suryaah's blockbuster thriller, Vaali, which portrayed him in dual roles, as hero and villain, grossed $3 million at the box office. Ajith's convincing portrayal of the two brothers with symmetrically opposite attributes won him his first awards for Filmfare's Best Actor. Furthermore the tricky role was also praised by critics claiming that the film was an "instant classic". The two following supporting roles in the melodrama hits Anandha Poongatre and Nee Varuvai Ena also brought Ajith plaudits for his understated portrayals. His final project before the new millennium was Amarkalam directed by Saran and featuring Shalini, whom he married shortly after the film.

Mugavari, won him commercial and critical praise. He was cast in A. R. Rahman's 2000 musical hit Kandukondain Kandukondain directed by Rajiv Menon. The film featured Ajith alongside prominent actors Mammooty and Aishwarya Rai.

Action Hero (2000-05)

During this period, Ajith came to be seen by his fans and the media as not just another romantic hero but as a stylish action hero with immense screen presence. However, this period too witnessed a growing rift with the media due to his "no exclusive" policy.

In 2001, Ajith appeared in Dheena, A. R. Murugadoss's debut film co-starring Laila Mehdin and Suresh Gopi. The film, indirectly marked the beginning of a new image of Ajith, that of an action hero that would appeal to the masses. Furthermore from the successful film, Ajith's nickname in the film, Thalai, a Tamil metaphor for alpha male, became a new brand label for the actor among his fans and media. His next project was the cult film Citizen, portraying Ajith in ten different get-ups. He was annotated as Ultimate Star in the film. This honorary title came to be used in all his films throughout the rest of the decade. A role in the melodrama, Poovellam Un Vasam followed opposite Jyothika and was a success commercially and critically earning a Special Best Actor Award from the Tamil Nadu State. The year ended off with an appearance in Santosh Sivan's Hindi project, Asoka, in which Ajith appeared in a brief negative role alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

  1. "It's all about choices". The Hindu. 24 August 2007.
  2. ^ Warrier, Shobha (July 1999). "Rediff On The NeT, Movies: An interview with Ajith Kumar:". Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference dropout was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  5. Vijayan, K. (1994). "Many flaws in this sentimental attempt". New Straits Times. Retrieved 1994-12-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. Chandran, Sheela (26 October 2008). "Tough-guy role". The Star. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  7. "Bollywood, here come the south stars!". Times of India. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  8. Rajitha (1999). "Pyar to hona hi tha". Rediff. Retrieved 1999-09-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. Kumar, Ashok (2000). "Star-spangled show on cards". The Hindu. Retrieved 2000-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. Krishna, Sandya (1999). "Vaali:Review". Indolink.com. Retrieved 1999-05-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ Rajitha (2000). "Kamal joins the rat race". Rediff. Retrieved 2000-06-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. Kumar, Ashok S.R (2001). "Hits and misses of the year that was". Rediff. Retrieved 2001-01-19.
  13. Warrier, Shobha (2000). "The hero as a human being". Rediff. Retrieved 2000-03-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. "Chennai's new cinematic idiom". The Hindu. 2000. Retrieved 2000-05-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  15. "Kandukondain Kandukondain". Express India. 2000. Retrieved 2000-07-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  16. Jain, Mimmy (2000). "I have seen... and conquered". Express India. Retrieved 2000-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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