| Name | Ajith Kumar | Thala Ajith Kumar  |
| Nick names | Kaadhal Mannan, Thala, Ultimate Star, Lucky star | |
| Profession | Actor | |
| Date of Birth | May 1, 1971 | |
| Place of Birth | Hyderabad | |
| Height | 5' 11" (1.80 m) | |
| Education | 10 Std drop out from Asan Memorial Sr. Sec. School in 1986 | |
| Nationality | Indian | |
| Family | Father: Subramaniam Mother: Mohini Brother: Anil Kumar(Cost analyst in New York) Brother: Anup Kumar (B Tech in naval architecture from IIT, Madras) Wife: Shalini | |
| Debut | Tamil: Amaravathi Telugu: Prema Pusthagam Hindi: Ashoka | |
| Marriage date | 24th April, 2000 | |
| ex girlfriend | Heera | |
| Earlier jobs | *Two and Four wheeler mechanic *Garment exporter based in Erode till 1990. | |
| Mango racing | A motor car racer until 2005 and took part in Formula 3 championships for the minor outfit, Mango Racing. In 2004, he became the third participant ever from India after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok. | |
| Pet | A Dog named Honey | |
Ambassador | An ambassador for the Green Revolution, an awareness campaign to clean up the Chennai environment | |
| Rajinikanth | * He says that he had a complete transformation in his life after he got the book "Living with the Himalayan Masters" from Rajinikanth * I am arrogant enough to say, 'I want his place'. * Is working in the remake of 'Billa' a Rajinikanth blockbuster. | |
| Entering films | Only to pay off his debts which were incurred from his failed garment business. | |
| Favourites | * dress : Jeans and T-Shirt * colour : Red * vacation spot : London *food: Non-vegetarian food (Mutton and beef dishes). * shooting location : Kodaikaanal | |
| Hobby | Listening to music | |
| favourite activities in his school years | NCC, rifle shooting, aero-modelling, bike racing | |
| About Reading | "I don't read anything other than the newspapers, Reader's Digest or National Geographic" | |
| Motor racing | He wanted to be a professional motor racer. For lack of sponsors he could not do it. | |
| Racing accident | He injured his back and had to undergo three major surgeries on his back. He was in bed for one-and-a-half years. | |
| Biggest competitor | Always competes with self | |
| Religion | Shalini is a Protestant Christian and he is a Brahmin from Palghat. He feels that religion is not an issue as they are not forcing their views on each other. | |
| Shalini | * Met her in the film sets of "Armarkalam" * The exact time and date of the meeting - March 17, 1999 at 10.30am. | |
| Facts | * After his surgery for a broken vertebra he lost feeling in his legs, but he took on a vow to recover and walked all the way from his home in Madras to the Balaji shrine in Tirupathi, in Andhra Pradesh. * His mother is a Sindhi and his father a Malayalee * He has a Student Pilot's Licence (SPL) to fly a single engine Cessna A152 aeroplane. * He has a garage full of the latest motorcycles and remote-controlled helicopters at his Tiruvanmiyur home. | |
| Awards | * Film fare Award for the film Varalaru 2006 * Film fare Award for the Film Villain 2003 * Dinakaran Cinema Award for the film 'Villain' in 2003, * Special Actor state award for the film Poovellam Un Vasam 2001 * Film fare Best supporting actor award for the film Kandukondain Kandukondain 2000 * Film fare Award for the film Vaali 1999 * Best New Face Award from "Bharatmuni Art Academy" for his debut film 'Prema Pusthakam' (Telugu). * Cinema Express Best Artiste Award. | |
| Address | AK International No 5, Vijayalakshmi Street, Mahalingapuram, Chennai 600034. | |
| Philosophy of life | Live and let live | |
| Quote | "Acting is a learning process, and what you are doing in your early films is essentially picking up the nuances, the tricks of your trade. And somewhere along the line, you become analytical, and learn to enjoy what you are doing. Essentially, though, I see myself as a director's medium - he needs something from me, I deliver it." | |
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar (Tamil: அஜித் குமார்; Sindhi: अजित कुमार; born 1 May 1971) is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai (1995).[1] A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with Kadhal Kottai (1996) and Kadhal Mannan (1998) being the most notable. He later forayed into method acting, as seen in Vaali (1999), Mugavaree (2000), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Citizen (2001) [2] before establishing himself as an action hero with popular films including Amarkalam (1999), Dheena (2001), Villain (2002), Varalaru (2006) and Billa (2007).
He has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil, all for films which showcased him in multiple roles. Ajith performs predominantly in leading roles in major studio films, genres ranging from romantic comedies and drama to action thrillers. In addition to his acting, Ajith, in a sabbatical, participated in the 2004 British Formula Three season as a race driver for a minor outfit, and was ranked the third best motor car driver in India at his peak.[3],[4] Ajith remains a popular figure in the media of Tamil Nadu, making headlines for his relationships before his marriage to former actress Shalini,[2] his long-running media-built rivalry with fellow actor Vijay [5][6] and his controversial statements in a few occasions.
Acting career
Early career
Ajith Kumar was born as the middle child in Secunderabad, a city north of Hyderabad to a Palakkad Iyer from Kerala[8] and a Sindhi mother, and was brought up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.[9] Ajith began speaking Tamil only after entering films.[9] He dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School in 1986 before completing his higher secondary.[10] He took up work as a two wheeler auto mechanic, and got himself a driver's licence to coincide with his interests, that of car / bike 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.[10]
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.[11] Ajith then started his film career at the age of 21 appearing in the low budget Telugu film, Prema Pustakam in 1992, which remains his last direct Telugu film to date. His first Tamil film Amaravathi, directed by then newcomer Selva, was a moderate success and his voice was rendered by fellow actor, Vikram.[10] 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.[11] Following the injury in 1993, Ajith played a supporting role in the Arvind Swamy starrer, Paasamalargal, before appearing in a supporting lead role in the family drama, Pavithra, which featured him as an ailing patient shown maternal affection from Raadhika.[12]
Breakthrough (1995-2000)
In 1995, after a supporting role in the Vijay starrer Rajavin Parvaiyile, Ajith appeared in his first major success, Aasai. The film directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam, featured him in the lead role opposite Suvalakshmi, whose brother-in-law infatuates about her. The film became a big success and established Ajith as an upcoming actor in the Tamil film industry.[1][13] He later played the lead in Kalloori Vaasal co-starring Prashanth and Pooja Bhatt.[10] Ajith's second blockbuster came in the form of National Award winning Kadhal Kottai, in which Ajith reunited with Agathiyan, the director of the earlier project Vaanmathi.[14] The film which told the tale of two people falling in unconditional love without seeing each other until the climax. The film paired him opposite Devayani, with Heera Rajgopal, who Ajith fell in love during the making of the project, playing a supporting role.[15]
After the success of his films in 1996, the following year saw a series of five failures,[11] the most notable being Amitabh Bachchan's Tamil production Ullaasam with Maheswari, in which he was paid a salary of Rs. 2 million for the first time.[10] Ajith returned with another successful project in Saran's Kadhal Mannan, with the "masala film" setting the foundations for an expanding fan base.[10] Following films Aval Varuvala and Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen also became successes, with the latter featuring Ajith in a praised guest role. After a couple of average grossers in Uyirodu Uyiraga and Ramesh Khanna's Thodarum, Sundar C's romantic drama Unnaithedi opposite Malavika became another comeback film and set the tone for a series of big successes. S. J. Suryaah's thriller, Vaali, which portrayed him in dual roles opposite Simran, became his biggest hit til date following its release.[11] The film told the story of a deaf and mute brother setting his eyes on his younger brother's wife, with Ajith's portrayal of the two brothers winning him his first of many awards for Filmfare's Best Actor.[16] Furthermore Ajith's portrayal of the brothers was also praised, with critics claiming that the film was an"instant classic" with Ajith showing that he is a "talented actor".[17] The two following supporting roles in the drama films Anandha Poongatre and Nee Varuvai Ena also brought Ajith plaudits for his portrayals. His final film before the new millennium was another blockbuster, Amarkalam directed by Saran and featuring Shalini, whom he married shortly after the film. Amarkalam told the story of a negelected child who grew up and fails to show feelings of love or affection, becoming a gangster in the process, with Ajith's depiction of his rogue character appreciated by critics.[18]
His next, Mugavaree, won him commercial and critical praise.[19] The film revolved around the life of a struggling music composer who faces sacrifices to proceed in his career. The film featured dual endings, one with Ajith succeeding in his career, the other with Ajith dejected. Ajith's performance was yet again praised with critics from Rediff, claiming that "Ajith is the real winner", drawing an allusion with the film's script, whilst adding that "it is amazing to see how Ajith has grown as an actor. He brilliantly portrays the vulnerable and sad Sridhar".[20] He also appeared in A. R. Rahman's 2000 musical Kandukondain Kandukondain directed by Rajiv Menon. The blockbuster featured Ajith alongside prominent actors Mammooty and Abbas and actresses Aishwarya Rai, Tabu and Srividya.[21] In a similar role to his previous film, Ajith played a struggling film director facing an oscillating relationship with Tabu, with the pair being unanimously praised for their roles.[22][23] His first failure in eight films, came in the form of the military based Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven co-starring Simran.[18]
