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Ajith Kumar (Template:Lang-ta) (born 1 May 1971 in Hyderabad, Andra Pradesh, India) is an Indian film actor and a Formula 2 racer who is 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 establishing Ajith initially as a romantic hero, then as an action hero and finally as a mass icon.

Often praised for his performances, he has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil, all three for films which showcased him in multiple roles. Ajith performs predominantly in leading roles in major studio films, ranging from romantic comedies and drama to action thrillers like Aasai (1995), Kadhal Kottai (1996), Vaali (1999), Villain (2002), Varalaru (2006) and Billa (2007). In addition to his acting, Ajith in a sabbatical, participated in the 2004 British Formula Three season as a professional racer.

Acting career

Early years

Ajith was born as the middle child in Hyderabad, India, into a typical middle class Indian household without links to the film industry whatsoever. He was brought up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School in 1986 before completing his higher secondary.

He took up work as a mechanic, and got himself a driver's licence to coincide with his interests, that of racing. At 18, Ajith had to take up a job to support his career in racing. Joining as an apprentice, he rose to be a merchandiser with a garment export company, doing small-time press ads and TV commercials occasionally. He had put a lot of money into racing and would borrow tyres from his friends who used to help when the chains wore out as there was no money in racing at that time.

Following an accident, several business agencies pushed him into modeling for advertisements in print media. He had to make a choice between films and racing, and as the movies were happening and generating him some money, he began concentrating on it.

Aged 20, Ajith was selected by Telugu film producers, Lakshmi Productions, to star in their film; however shooting was stalled soon after filming began, following the death of the film's director. Ajith then started his film career at the age of 21 appearing in the low budget Telugu film, Prema Pustagam in 1992, which remains his only 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 interview" 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.

The year 2002 saw Ajith appear in three films, the first two; Red and Raja being average grossers. However the third film, Villain, in which Ajith appeared in dual roles, one as a mentally ill handicap, became a blockbuster grossing over $5 million at the box office and also earning Ajith his second Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award. By then, distributors had recognised Ajith's star value labelling him as the King of Opening.

The following years, from 2003 through 2005, saw Ajith appear in a fewer amount of films due to his focus in motor car racing. The year 2003 saw the release of his long-delayed Ennai Thalatta Varuvala and the cop-thriller Anjaneya.

His next project Jana with Sneha was panned by critics while the Saran film, Attagasam emerged successful. The film, saw Ajith portray dual roles, with a song, Thalai Pola Varuma penned to promote his action hero image and cementing his nickname Thalai in the media.

In 2005, the Linguswamy film Ji, despite garnering positive reviews, did not sustain the success momentum given by Attagasam.

Mass Icon (2005-present)

During this period, Ajith's films came to be noted for ever-growing opening power, at the box office, due to his strong male-oriented fanbase. He came to be seen by his fans and the media as not just another action hero but a mass icon.

During 2006, Ajith returned from his hiatus by appearing in P. Vasu's Paramasivan for which he had lost twenty kilograms to portray the lead role. Similarly his next, AVM Productions's, Thirupathi directed by Perarasu got positive media reviews. Ajith summed up a successful comeback by the release of his long-delayed blockbuster, Varalaru which went on to gross $12 million at the box office marking a new career peak. The film also fetched Ajith his third Filmfare Best Actor award.

Ajith's first release in 2007, Aalwar was however panned by critics while Kireedam, a remake of the 1989 National Award winning Malayalam film got overwhelmingly positive reviews. Ajith then starred in a remake of a 1980s Rajinikanth starrer, Billa, a blockbuster that grossed $14 million at the box office thus cooking up pressure for his rivals. The film fetched critical praise for Ajith, becoming a trendsetter for stylish art direction and cinematography in India.

In 2008, he was cast in Ayngaran International production Aegan, directed by the choreographer turned director Raju Sundaram. The film was a remake of the 2004 Hindi hit Main Hoon Na.

Ajith's latest release, Asal, a thriller, that he co-directed, narrating inter-sibling rivalry, released in early 2010 and had the widest ever opening at the box office worldwide. He was under contract to be paid a remuneration of $2 million in cash plus a 30 per cent share of the profit from sales of rights of the film..

Racing career

Ajith is a professional racer and has driven in circuits around India in places such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. He has also been abroad for various races including Germany and Malaysia.

Formula BMW Asia (2003)

After a one-off race during the Formula Maruti Indian Championships in 2002, where he finished in fourth place, Ajith signed a contract with manager Akbar Ebrahim confirming his participation in the inaugural Formula BMW Asia Championship. Despite spinning out in the first lap of his first race, Ajith successfully completed the season by finishing sixth in the season.

Formula 2 (2010)

After a six year sabbatical, Ajith signed up for his third season of car racing by participating in the 2010 season of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The decision to be involved in the sport was made after Ajith's film directed by Gautham Menon was delayed, allowing Ajith to participate for the whole season. Prior to signing up, Ajith competed in the final round of the MRF racing series in Chennai in February 2010, but failed to finish the race due to mechanical problems. Further trials in Sepang, Malaysia followed suit as he practised for the season's beginning in April 2010 in his Formula Renault V6 car with Eurasian Racing, shedding 11 kilograms during training.

In his debut race, at Silverstone, in England ,Ajith finished the race at 18 position. Further, this happens to be Ajith’s personal best lap time, which is 1:44.007. the star started out at the 22nd spot but finished at the 18th position.

Personal life

Ajith comes from a syncretic cultural backdrop as his father was a Tamil Brahmin from Palakkad named P. Subramaniam and his mother Mohini was of Sindhi origin from Kolkata, West Bengal. Ajith later established the non-profit organisation "Mohini-Mani Foundation", named after his parents, in order to promote self-hygiene and civic consciousness and to help ease the problems of urban sprawl. Ajith Kumar was the middle son out of three brothers, the others being Anil Kumar, a stock broker in New York and Anoop Kumar, an IIT Madras graduate working in Seattle. Moreover, Ajith had younger twin sisters, both of whom died young. Through his marriage to actress Shalini, Ajith's brother-in-law Richard Rishi and sister-in-law Shamili are actors as well.

On 3 January 2008, his daughter, Anoushka, was born in Chennai.

In early 2010, Ajith was described by the chief minister of Tamil Nadu as infallible.

Ajith is going to be a father again as his wife shalini conceived again.

Awards and nominations

Won:

• Filmfare Best Actor Award for Vaali (1999)
• Filmfare Best Actor Award for Villain (2002)
• Filmfare Best Actor Award for Varalaru: History of Godfather (2006)
• Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award for Best Actor for Poovellam Un Vaasam (2001)
• Vijay Award for Favourite Hero for Varalaru: History of Godfather (2006)
• Dinakaran Award for Best Actor for Vaali (1999)
• Cinema Express Award for Best Actor for Citizen (2001)

Nominated:

• Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for Asoka (2001)
• Vijay Award for Favourite Hero for Aegan (2008)

Filmography

References

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. ^ Rajitha (1997). "The Star Next Door". Rediff. Retrieved 1997-04-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
4. ^ Warrier, Shobha (1999). "Bad back, great future". Rediff. Retrieved 1997-04-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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)
18. "Billa hits a century". Sify. 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
19. Ajith get 30 per cent share in profit from rights' sales
20. http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/15/stories/2003091500030200.htm
21. "India's Ajith Kumar signs up for Formula Two". FIA Formula Two Championship. MotorSport Vision. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
22. Moviebuzz (2010). "Details of Gautham- Ajith film". Sify. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
23. Menon, Priya (2010). "Kollywood star gets behind the wheel after six-year break". The Star. Retrieved 2010-03-13.
24. "Ajith Kumar - Results". Formula Two. 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
25. "Ajith improves on his racing". Moviebuzz. 2010. Retrieved 19 April ,2010,. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
26. Mannath, Malini (2000). "Ajith - Shalini " we love each other and that's all that counts"". Indiatalkies.com. Retrieved 2000-06-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
27. Kumar, Ashok S. R (2004). "Ajit's charitable side". The Hindu. Retrieved 2004-12-22.
28. Rajitha (1999). "Pyar to hona hi tha". Rediff.com. Retrieved 1999-09-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
29. Kamath, Sudhish (2000). "Talk of the Town!". The Hindu. Retrieved 2000-04-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
30. "Ajith - Shalini, blessed with a baby girl". Indiaglitz.com. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
31. Karunanidhi describes Ajith as "thumbai poo"
32. Anandha Poongatre is remade in Kannada after eight years
34. Deccan Chronicle weekly magazine (2010). "Ajith to work with Venkat Prabhu". deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved June 27th, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

• Ajith Kumar at IMDb
• What makes Ajith Special?

• 1971 births
• Living people
• Indian actors
• Tamil actors
• Tamil sportspeople
• Indian racecar drivers