Ajith Kumar

Ajith
File:Ajith-race.jpg
Born	May 1, 1971 Hyderabad
Occupation	Actor

Ajith Kumar (born May 1, 1971 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India) is an popular Tamil actor and a race car driver. He is also known by the title Ultimate Star.

Film career

Nineties

Ajith started his film career at the age of 21 in a Telugu movie Prema Pustagam in 1992. The movie was an instant hit and the Telugu film industry immediately took notice of him awarding him the Best New Face award of that year. His next film was in Tamil - a musical hit called Amaravathi for which he was paid a salary of just Rs390. However his second film released after 17 months - another musical hit Pavithra. The delay was caused due to a bike accident that left him bed-ridden.

Both these films familiarised his lover-boy looks to the people of Tamil Nadu and established him as a promising teen icon. One remarkable feature of his film career is that he has picked up at least one award for his films every year from 1992 through 2002 from government, institutions and media. Almost all his films, of which he has made over thirty, have been dubbed or remade into Telugu. In an industry without entry barriers for celebrity sons, Ajith was the only self-made hero in the Nineties who survived and prospered without any film background whatsoever. As late as 1990, he was still working as a garment exporter.

His third film released 10 months later. It was the biggest blockbuster hit of 1995. Aasai, which ran for 210 days, was directed by Vasanth and came as a turning point for Ajith. It brought him immense name/face recognition in each and every Tamil household. It was such a runaway success that he began considering cinema as a viable full-time career option for the first time ever. Thereafter film offers poured in regularly.

His fourth release Vaanmathi was also a silver jubilee blockbuster quickly followed by Kalloori Vaasal which was a musical hit later dubbed into Telugu as College Gate! But it was Director Agathiyan's Kadhal Kottai which put him straight into the top slot at the age of 25. The film was a blockbuster hit and also received a National Award (award given by the Government of India) for the director. It ran for 240 days.

The musical hit Nesam cast him along with Maheshwari who reappeared in Amitabh Bachan's Ullasam for which his salary was raised to Rs50 lakhs. This was followed by a string of musical hits like Raasi, Rettai Jadai Vayasu, Kadhal Mannan, Uyirodu Uyiraga and the blockbuster Aval Varuvala which cast him alongside Simran.

Throughout 1997 and 1998, his personal life came under unprecedented media scrutiny with juicy tabloid gossip about his rocky relationship with actress Heera which ended in Thodarum when she reportedly walked out on him. Ajith went into depression throughout the filming of the musical hit Unnai Thedi. It was in these troublesome times that another mega blockbuster hit in his career Vaali arrived. This film helped Ajith solidify his reputation (despite all the media mudslinging) as the superstar of next generation. The film was a huge blockbuster hit - a thriller running packed houses for 270 days. From there on, there was no stopping him. He ruled with continuous musical hits like Anandha Poongatrey, Mugavari (86 screens), and the blockbuster Amarkalam (71 screens). Then he set up an independent film distribution company named as AK International.

Noughts

At the age of 30, Ajith went for a radical image makeover in the blockbuster Dheena that released 8 months later (in 114 screens). This was followed by musical hits like Citizen (128 screens) and Poovellam Un Vaasam (143 screens) which picked up dozens of awards from media and government.

For the sake of survival and friendship in an industry with minimal entry barriers, Ajith had to resort to doing guest roles in a relatively large number of films like Paasamalargal, Rajavin Parvaiyiley, Minor Maappillaigal, Pagaivan, Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen, Nee Varuvai Ena, Kandukondain Kandukondain (its audio rights sale record price of Rs2.2 crores still remains unbeaten), Asoka and Ennai Thalatta Varuvala.

There were some hiccups in the form of films such as Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven (100 screens) which had an outrageous plot but Ajith came back strong every time with musical hits Red (157 screens), Raja (171 screens) and the super blockbuster Villain (185 screens) directed by KS Ravikumar which ran for 300 days and also fetched him the South Filmfare Best Actor Award.

The musical hit Anjaneya released 11 months later amid high expectations (in 200 screens). His salary then peaked at Rs3.5 crores per film and its Telugu remake rights were sold for Rs85+ lacs at the time of the shoot. But his grip on the world of Kollywood weakened by choosing outlandish plots such as Jana that released 7 months later (in 214 screens). This was the only Ajith film ever that did not take a grand opening due to haphazard marketing, logistic and project management issues. It was then he declared that there would be no more racing and he would concentrate only on acting thereafter.

The musical hit Attagasam (for which he magnanimously waived his full salary) came as a welcome relief (in 228 screens) as Ajith tried full-length comedy to much critical acclaim from masses and classes. In late 2004, Ajith converted all his fanclubs into productive Narpani Eyakkams headquartered in Chennai. Ji opening (in 242 screens) triggered riots and mayhem in several coastal districts. Its Telugu version released in October 2005.

As of January 2006, he has over 60,000 registered fanclubs worldwide [1]. Though his Pongal release Paramasivan arrived 11 months later (in 257 screens), it has still been declared a blockbuster by trade signalling one of the strongest comebacks in Kollywood history. As a result, Ajith is now ranked as the Numero Uno in Kollywood box office according to a online survey.

Ajith's latest release Thirupathi has opened in 271 screens throughout Tamil Nadu setting a new peak in his long illustrious career. He is one of the few stars in India who guarantee minimum box office collections worth $3 million in the first week of release itself for his films. This has led film critics, fans, publications, producers, distributors and exhibitors to fondly call him King of Opening ever since 1999. His millions of fans worldwide are noted for their overt show of affection on the day of release of his films like performing camphor pooja, paal abishekam for his gigantic 50-feet cutouts, offering special prayers, organising blood donation campaigns, breaking cartloads of coconuts in the streets, tonsuring heads and putting up fancy posters with catchy taglines.

Personal life

Ajith is the middle son of three, born to a Sindhi mother and Malayalee father. Ajith dropped out of school in 1986 to become a part-time 2/4-wheeler mechanic and full-time garment exporter based in Erode till 1990. Business exigencies pushed him into modelling for adverts in print media which eventually paved the way into Tollywood and later Kollywood.

After his surgery for a broken vertebra he lost feeling in his legs, but he took vowed to recover and walked all the way from his home in Madras to the Balaji shrine in Tirupathi, in Andhra Pradesh. He shed 20 kilos in severe diet and fitness sessions within 40 days for Paramasivan directed by P.Vasu. He is also called The Phoenix in close circles within the film industry due to his self-confidence and resilience.

In Amarkalam, he was paired with fellow actress Shalini for the first time. The film was a silver jubilee blockbuster hit, and Ajith fell in love with his leading lady, who he later married. Ajith is active in spreading awareness of the Green Revolution, an effort to clean up the Chennai environment and encouraging people to plant saplings. He uses his films for subtle marketing of his ideas in this regard.

Ajith's persona is credited as extrovert leadership material by his directors. His off-hand interviews in the Nineties took the conservative Tamil media as well as industry by storm. As a result, his die-hard fans believe he is infallible in character.

Awards & achievements

As an actor

• Best New Face Award from Bharatmuni Art Academy for his debut film Prema Pustagam(Telugu)
• Film Fare Award, Cinema Express Award and Dinakaran Cinema Award for the film Vaali(1999)
• He is also a recipient of Cinema Express Best Artist Award for the film Mugavari(2000)
• Special Actor - State Award for the film Poovellam Un Vasam(2001)
• Film Fare Award and Dinakaran Cinema Award for the film Villan(2002)

As a race car driver

• He has participated in the Indian Formula Championships in 2002.

• He has participated in the Formula 3 BMW Asia Championships in 2003 for Indian Team.

Results : He got the 6th position in the 8th round and the 5th position in the 10th round. In total, he finished 12th among 40 drivers.

• He participated in the British F3 Scholarship in 2004 for Indian Team.

Results : He got the 3rd position in the 2nd round and in the 8th round.

Punch Words & Dialogues

• 1996 - Leokappasa (Vaanmathi)
• 2001 - Thala (Dheena)
• 2002 - Adhu (Red)
• 2004 - Thala Pola Varuma (Attagasam)

Filmography

• 1992 - Prema Pustagam (Telugu debut)
• 1993 - Amaravathi (Tamil debut)
• 1994 - Paasamalargal (guest)
• 1994 - Pavithra
• 1995 - Rajavin Parvaiyiley (guest)
• 1995 - Yuva Raktam (Telugu) (guest)
• 1995 - Aasai
• 1995 - Aasa Aasa Aasa (Telugu)
• 1996 - Vaanmathi
• 1996 - Kalloori Vaasal
• 1996 - College Gate (Telugu)
• 1996 - Minor Maappillaigal (guest)
• 1996 - Kadhal Kottai
• 1996 - Prema Lekha (Telugu)
• 1997 - Nesam
• 1997 - Raasi
• 1997 - Ullasam
• 1997 - Ullasam (Telugu)
• 1997 - Pagaivan (guest)
• 1997 - Rettai Jadai Vayasu
• 1998 - Kadhal Mannan
• 1998 - Aval Varuvala
• 1998 - Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen (guest)
• 1998 - Uyirodu Uyiraga
• 1999 - Thodarum
• 1999 - Unnai Thedi
• 1999 - Premato Pilicha (Telugu)
• 1999 - Vaali
• 1999 - Vaale (Telugu)
• 1999 - Vaalee (Hindi)
• 1999 - Anandha Poongatrey
• 1999 - Nee Varuvai Ena (guest)
• 1999 - Amarkalam
• 1999 - Adhbutam (Telugu)
• 2000 - Mugavari
• 2000 - Chirunama (Telugu)
• 2000 - Kandukondain Kandukondain (guest)
• 2000 - Priyuralu Pilichindi (Telugu) (guest)
• 2000 - Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven
• 2001 - Dheena
• 2001 - Citizen
• 2001 - Citizen (Telugu)
• 2001 - Poovellam Un Vaasam
• 2001 - Samrat Ashoka (guest)
• 2001 - Asoka (Hindi) (guest)
• 2002 - Red
• 2002 - Raja
• 2002 - Nuvvu Naaku Kavali (Telugu)
• 2002 - Villain
• 2003 - Ennai Thalatta Varuvala (guest)
• 2003 - Anjaneya
• 2004 - Jana
• 2004 - Rowdy Don (Telugu)
• 2004 - Attagasam
• 2005 - Ji
• 2005 - Ji (Telugu)
• 2006 - Paramasivan
• 2006 - Thirupathi

Upcoming movies

• 2006 - Godfather
• 2006 - Naan Kadavul

Trivia

• He is a professional bike racer
• He is the third Indian to take part in international Formula 3 race competitions. The others being Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok
• He owns a pilot licence
• He is professional photographer
• He has won local Badminton tournaments

References

• Ajith Kumar at IMDb

External links

• Bizhat.com - Ajith Kumar.. the new rising super star
• Indiainfo - Ajith's Efforts In Citizen