Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Thala,[1] Ultimate Star[2] |
| Years active | 1992 - present |
| Spouse(s) | Shalini Kumar (2000 - present) |
Ajith Kumar (Template:Lang-ta; Sindhi: अजित कुमार) (born May 1, 1971) is an Indian film actor and auto racer, who has appeared in Tamil, as well as Telugu and Hindi movies. Ajith made his acting debut in his only Telugu-language film-to-date, Prema Pustagam in 1992, which was followed by a Tamil film Amaravathi in which he played his first lead role. Ajith delivered his first major hit in Aasai, in 1995.[3][4] The following year he starred in another success, Kadhal Kottai. It was followed by a slump of two years with limited successes, some of which include Ullasam and Kadhal Mannan. Ajith received his first Filmfare Best Actor Award in Tamil for his dual role in Vaali (1999). He was noted for his romantic roles in melodramas like Mugavari and Kandukondain Kandukondain though his focus later turned to action films after the success of Amarkalam and Dheena.
He won two consecutive Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil — for his multiple roles in the film Citizen and for his dual roles in Villain. In addition to being an actor, Ajith also participated in 2003 Formula Asia BMW Championships[5] He is also an active ambassador for the Green Revolution.
Early life
Ajith was born as the middle child in Hyderabad, India, to a Palakkad Iyer father[6] and a Sindhi mother from Kolkata.[6][7] However he has strong ties to the Tamil culture and society as he grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School in 1986. Before his acting career he worked as a mechanic. In 1983 when his father was working in a pharmaceutical company called Biddle Sawyer, one of the directors there, Vimal Shah used to race in the Sholavaram circuit. His office was in Alwarpet and during the season, the compound would be packed with Vijay Mallya's team cars, drivers, mechanics. At age of 11 that was his first tryst with racing. When he turned 18, the first thing the high school drop-out got himself was a driver's licence. Ajith was not especially interested in cars then, but bikes. With his Yahmaha RX 100, modified he used to race in the Group E Class at the Irungattukottai circuit near Sriperumbudur. 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. But what put the brakes on his ambition, at least temporarily, was an accident in 1993 during a testing round. Several business agencies pushed him into modeling for advertisements in print media. He had to make a choice between films and racing. As the movies were happening, he began concentrating on it.[8]
Acting career
Romantic hero (1992-2000)
Ajith started his film career at the age of 21 as an actor in the Telugu movie Prema Pustaka in 1992.[9] His next film was the Tamil film Amaravathi. And his second film was the Tamil film Pavithra.[clarification needed (second or third film?)] The film Aasai, released in 1995 and directed by Vasanth, was Ajith 's first big budget film. It was very successful, and established his career as a leading actor in Tamil cinema.[3][4] But it was only until the release of the National Award winning Kadhal Kottai which was his blockbuster ever in his career, released in 1996. Ajith later played the lead in Amitabh Bachchan's debut Tamil production[10] Ullasam. This venture paid him a salary of Rs. 2 million for the first time.
A string of successful movies followed, most notably Kadhal Mannan and Vaali which cast him alongside Simran. Vaali saw a new peak in Ajith 's career. He played a dual role in the film. One as a deaf-and-dumb twin who lusts after his naive brother's wife .[11][12] After Amarkalam[13] with his then-fiancee, now wife Shalini, Ajith set up his own distribution company AK International with the office located within the premises of NIC Arts which was run by his ex-friend, producer and distributor S. S. Chakravarthi. This office was shifted in 2006. His succes at box office continued with mugavari. In 2000, Ajith was cast alongside Mammooty, Abbas, Tabu and Aishwarya Rai in Kandukondain Kandukondain which was both critical and commercial success[14] which was followed by Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven which did not do well.
Ups and downs (2001-2005)
In 2001, Ajith played the role of Shahrukh Khan's brother in the commercially unsuccessful historical film Asoka. He began the year with the scintillating block buster movie Dheena directed by A. R. Murugadoss. This movie showed Ajith as a rowdy and he acted alongside Suresh Gopi and Laila Mehdin. Citizen opposite Vasundhara Das was experimentally successful and earned the actor with lot of appreciation and awards but the movie failed to mark it's signature in the box office, Citizen was followed by Poovellam Un Vaasam. The film Raja opposite Jyothika Saravanan and the action filmRed and Raja proved to be a disaster for the actor and marked the downfall and proved to be an all time low in the actor's career.[15].He then starred in Villain which was a success.[16]
In 2003 to 2005 many of Ajith's movies Anjaneya[17], Jana[18] and Ji did not do well at box office. He then starred in another dual role film Attagasam which did fairly well at box office.
Billa and the future (2006-present)
During 2006, Ajith acted in 3 projects. First he acted in Paramasivan directed P. Vasu and then in Thirupathi directed by Perarasu both not doing well in boxoffice[19]. Later that year he released his 3 year-pending project Varalaru: History of Godfather directed by K. S. Ravikumar. Varalaru turned out to be a blockbuster movie in terms of collection due to the three roles he played as an old man who was once a classical dancer and two identical twins, with one being the antagonist. The movie grossed $12 millions at box office [20].
Ajith's first film in 2007 was with the newcomer director Chella in his maiden film entitled Aalwar. Aalwar did not did not do well at box office. After Aalwar, Ajith acted in a remake of a 1989 National Film Award winning Malayalam film, Kireedam with Trisha Krishnan. The film was produced by Adlabs and marked the production company's entry into Tamil cinema. With a few controversies regarding the film's immensely emotional climax, it was appreciated for Ajith's excellent performance.[citation needed] On the sets of this film, Ajith sustained a recurring spinal injury.[21]
Ajith then starred in Billa which did well collecting $10 Million. [22] even though many critics were dissapointed, even top critics like madan. This film is the remake of the 1980 Rajinikanth-starrer Tamil film of the same name which in turn was a remake of Amitabh Bachchan's 1978 Hindi film Don which was remade by Shah Rukh Khan in 2006 as Don again. After Billa, Ajith acted in the film Aegan which was based on Main Hoon Na. This film was directed by the choreographer turned director Raju Sundaram. This film did not do well at box office [23][24] Ajith is currently acting in the film Asal, which is being directed by Saran, making Asal their fourth film together.This film is produced by Sivaji Productions. Ajith is said to have charged Rs 5-6 crore plus a 30% share in profits from the sale of rights (including, distribution, satellite and international rights).[25]
Personal life
Ajith began dating his Amarkalam co-star Shalini in 1999. At that time, their involvement made him a regular subject of tabloid gossip, a role to which he was unaccustomed. They were married in 2000 in Chennai. As both were of different religions, Ajith being a Hindu and Shalini being Catholic, they were married together under the customs of both religions. After their marriage, Shalini retired as an actress and became a full time housewife. However she did accompany Ajith to the sets of his films as moral support. On January 3, 2008, their daughter Anoushka Kumar was born.
Professional car racer
Ajith is a professional "car 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. He drove in 2003 Formula Asia BMW Championships[26].
The Green Revolution
Ajith is an ambassador for the Green Revolution, an organization to clean up the Chennai environment.[27] He uses his films for subtle marketing of his ideas and planted 101 saplings in his locality in Adyar, Chennai in 2004. This was to make an awareness about the environment and to increase the oxygen levels in Chennai due to the pollution caused by everyday motorists. This action was welcomed by the public. Since then the Green Revolution themselves have went on to plant many saplings in other parts of Tamil Nadu.
Mohini-Mani Foundation
Ajith created 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.[28] He now continues to fund the non-profit organisation to make.
Awards and nominations
Won:
- Filmfare Best Actor Award for Vaali (1999)
- Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)
- Filmfare Best Actor Award for Villain (2002)
- Filmfare Best Actor Award for Varalaru: History of Godfather (2006)
Nominated
- Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for Asoka (2001)
- Filmfare Best Actor Award for Billa (2007)
Filmography
References
- ^ Settu Shankar (April 21, 2009). "Ajith asks fans not to celebrate his b'day". oneIndia. Retrieved 29 June, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Sreedhar, Pillai (April 19, 2009). "Ajith calls off b'day bash". The Times of India. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Warrier, Shobha (July 1999). "Rediff On The NeT, Movies: An interview with Ajith Kumar:". Retrieved June 29, 2009.
- ^ a b Chandran, Sheela (October 26, 2008). "Tough-guy role". The Star. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/15/stories/2003091500030200.htm
- ^ a b "In the race as always". The Hindu. July 12, 2002.
- ^ The Hindu : Friday Review Chennai : It’s all about choices
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/15/stories/2003091500030200.htm
- ^ Best New Face: Ajith Kumar
- ^ Amitabh produces Ullasam
- ^ Suryah's Vaali with Ajith and Simran
- ^ Ajith and Simran join hands again
- ^ Amarkalam sets a new trend
- ^ http://en.allexperts.com/e/k/ka/kandukondain_kandukondain.htm
- ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47530489.cms
- ^ http://www.rediff.com/movies/2002/dec/21ajit.htm
- ^ http://www.lazygeek.net/2004/02/ajith-and-the-flying-taurus
- ^ http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/9198.html
- ^ http://www.cooljilax.com/movie2006/stats2006.html.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Ajith was injured on the sets of Kireedam
- ^ "Billa hits a century". Moviebuzz. 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
- ^ http://chennaionline.com/film/news/Dec08/12article381.aspx
- ^ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Media-Entertainment-/Entertainment/After-big-flops-Kwood-bets-on-low-budget-films/articleshow/4865758.cms.
- ^ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Jobs/Kollywood-gods-pay-packs-get-bigger-despite-slump/articleshow/4823953.cms
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/15/stories/2003091500030200.htm
- ^ plant saplings Ajtih Plants Saplings
- ^ Ajith's Chariable Side
- ^ "Asal is in post-production!". IndiaGlitz. 2009. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
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