Ajith Kumar | |
|---|---|
 Ajith in 2010 at Irungattukottai Race Track | |
| Born | Ajith Kumar Subramaniam[1] (1971-05-01)1 May 1971 (age 53) |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Organization | Ajith Kumar Racing |
| Works | Filmography |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honours | Kalaimamani (2000) Padma Bhushan (2025) |
Ajith Kumar Subramaniam (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian actor who works predominantly inTamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 61 films, and won fourVijay Awards, threeCinema Express Awards, threeFilmfare Awards South and threeTamil Nadu State Film Awards. In addition to his acting career, Ajith is also an occasionalracing driver and participated in theMRF Racing series (2010) and having competed in circuits around India in places such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. He is one among very few Indians to race in the international arena and in Formula championships. Based on the annual earnings of Indian celebrities, he was included in theForbes India Celebrity 100 list three times.[2]
Ajith began his career with a small role in the 1990 Tamil romantic dramaEn Veedu En Kanavar. After his success inRajavin Parvaiyile, his first major breakthrough wasAasai (1995), Ajith established himself as a romantic hero withKadhal Kottai (1996),Kaadhal Mannan (1998) andAval Varuvala (1998), and established himself as anaction hero starting with the filmAmarkalam (1999). Ajith's dual portrayal of twin brothers—where one isdeaf-mute—inS. J. Suryah'sVaali (1999) won him his firstFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. He earned critical acclaim for his dual roles in thevigilante filmCitizen (2001).[3] He was also praised for his dual role performance inK. S. Ravikumar’sVillain (2002) where he won his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Tamil. In 2006, he starred in K. S. Ravikumar'sVaralaru, in which he played three roles including one of a classical Bharatanatyam dancer. It became the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2006, and earned him another Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[4] The following year he starred in two remakes—Kireedam (2007) andBilla (2007),[a] both of which earned him critical acclaim.[4] Ajith played anantagonist in his 50th filmMankatha (2011),[5] which became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time.[6] His next release,Billa II (2012), was Tamil cinema's first prequel.[b]
Ajith has also been abroad for various races, includingGermany andMalaysia. He drove in the 2003Formula Asia BMW Championships.[8] He raced in the 2010 Formula 2 Championship along with two Indians,Armaan Ebrahim andParthiva Sureshwaren.[9] In 2025,Government of India honoured him withPadma Bhushan, the Third Highest Civilian Honour.[10][11]
Ajith Kumar was born on 1 May 1971.[12] His father, P. Subramaniam (died 2023[13]), is from aPalakkad Iyer family fromKerala[14][15][16] and his mother, Mohini, is aSindhi fromKolkata, West Bengal.[17] Ajith was the middle son out of three brothers, one of his other brothers is Anil Kumar, anIIT Madras graduate-turned-entrepreneur, and the other one is Anup Kumar.[18][14]
Ajith dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School during histenth grade, before he had completed his higher secondary schooling.[19] Through a family friend who worked with theEnfield company, Ajith was able to get a job as an apprentice and spent six months training to be a mechanic.[20] He later quit the role at the insistence of his father, who wanted Ajith to have awhite-collar job, and joined another family friend's garment exporting company as an apprentice. He eventually progressed to become a business developer and regularly travelled throughout the country on sales assignments, improving his English-speaking skills.[20] After resigning from the role, Ajith set up a textiles business distributing fabric alongside three other partners. The business venture underperformed prompting Ajith to take up another job in the garments industry.[20] During the period, Ajith also began working on modelling assignments alongside his work. He was notably scouted byP. C. Sreeram during the making of a commercial forHercules Cycle and Motor Company, who felt he had the appearance to become an actor.[20][21]
Ajith began his acting career through a one-scene appearance as a school child inEn Veedu En Kanavar (1990). Through the recommendation ofS. P. Balasubrahmanyam, whose son,S. P. Charan, was a classmate of his, he was cast in his first lead role in the Telugu romantic dramaPrema Pusthakam (1993), which remains his only Telugu film to date. However, the shoot of the film was stalled soon after production began, following the death of the film's director,Gollapudi Srinivas.[22] As a result, his first major theatrical release was the Tamil romantic dramaAmaravathi (1993), which Ajith had signed after being recommended to directorSelva by Balasubrahmanyam, who had seen parts ofPrema Pusthakam prior to its delay.[23] As the film went into post-production, Ajith was bed-ridden due to a racing injury while training for an amateur motor race. He underwent three major surgeries resulting in bed rest for one and a half years. As a result, his voice in the film was dubbed by actorVikram.[19] Following the injury, Ajith was keen to make up for lost time and signed on to play supporting roles. In the following years, he played character roles in theArvind Swami-starrerPaasamalargal (1994) andVijay-starrerRajavin Parvaiyile (1995). He was also seen in the family dramaPavithra (1994), which featured him as an ailing patient shown maternal affection byRadhika's character.[24][21]
Ajith's first commercially successful film as a lead actor was the romantic thrillerAasai (1995). The film, directed byVasanth and produced byMani Ratnam featured him in the lead role oppositeSuvalakshmi, whose brother-in-law lusts for her. It performed well at the box office and established Ajith as an upcoming actor in theTamil film industry.[25][26]Aasai also earned him his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. He later played a college student inKalloori Vaasal, co-starringPrashanth andPooja Bhatt.[19] Ajith's second successful film came in the form ofNational Award winningKadhal Kottai, in which Ajith reunited with Agathiyan, the director of the earlier projectVaanmathi.[27] The film paired him oppositeDevayani, withHeera Rajgopal playing a supporting role.[28]
In 1997, Ajith appeared in five consecutive failures. During the same period, he had entered into the film distribution business and had experienced losses as a result. Describing the period as a "cruel time", Ajith also continued to have chronic back injuries and several of his other film commitments had become delayed.[29] A notable project among the five films wasAmitabh Bachchan's Tamil productionUllaasam (1997), in which he was paid a high salary of₹2 million (equivalent to₹11 million or US$130,000 in 2023) for the first time.[19]
Ajith returned in 1998 with another big, successful project inSaran'sKaadhal Mannan, an action romantic comedy, setting the foundation for an expanding fan base.[19] He also began acting inVasanth'sNerukku Ner, and was later replaced by debutantSuriya.[30] Ajith's next filmsAval Varuvala andUnnidathil Ennai Koduthen also became successes, with the former pairing him withSimran for the first time and the latter featuring him in a guest role alongsideKarthik. Except forUyirodu Uyiraga, which performed poorly, his other three films released in 1998 were box office hits.
Ajith started 1999 with Ramesh Khanna'sThodarum and Sundar C's romantic dramaUnnaithedi opposite Malavika.S. J. Suryah's thrillerVaali, which portrayed Ajith in a dual role for the first time in his career, became one of his biggest hits at that time.[22] The film told the story of a deaf-mute brother setting his eyes on his younger brother's wife, with Ajith's portrayal of the two brothers winning him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[31] 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".[32] The two following roles in the drama filmsAnandha Poongatre andNee Varuvai Ena also brought Ajith plaudits for his portrayals. His 25th and final film before the new millennium wasAmarkalam, directed by Saran and featuringShalini, whom he married shortly after the film.Amarkalam told the story of a neglected child who grew up and failed to show feelings of love and affection, becoming a gangster in the process, with Ajith's depiction of his rogue character appreciated by critics.[33]
His first film of the new millennium,Mugavaree, won him commercial and critical praise.[34] 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 fromRediff, 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".[35] He also appeared inA. R. Rahman's 2000 multi-starrerKandukondain Kandukondain, directed byRajiv Menon. The film featured Ajith alongside prominent actorsMammooty andAbbas and actressesTabu andAishwarya Rai.[36] 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.[37][38] After giving six straight hits in 1999, and having hadMugavaree andKandukondain Kandukondain in 2000 as successes, Ajith had an unsuccessful film,Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven, co-starring Simran.[33][39]
In 2001, Ajith appeared in three commercially successful films.Dheena, co-starringLaila andSuresh Gopi, released atPongal and marked the beginning of a new image of Ajith as an action hero who would appeal to the masses.[40] He earned the nickname, "Thala" (Leader), from this film. In the same year, he was offered a role inNandha, which he rejected and was later replaced bySuriya, the eldest son of actorSivakumar.[41] His next was the much-hyped thrillerCitizen, portraying him in ten get-ups and it became a commercial success at the box office.[42] A role in the family dramaPoovellam Un Vasam followed oppositeJyothika and was a critical and commercial success, earning him theTamil Nadu State Film Special Award and his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[citation needed] The year ended off with a brief appearance inSantosh Sivan's Hindi projectAsoka, in which Ajith played as one of theantagonist againstShah Rukh Khan, which did not perform well.[43] In 2002, Ajith appeared in three films, the first two,Red[44] andRaja[45] being box office disappointments, the former further building up his image as an action hero. The third filmVillain, directed byK. S. Ravikumar, portrayed Ajith in a dual role, one as a mentally disabled person and another as a caring brother. The film emerged as a commercial success and earned him his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[46][47]
From 2003 through 2005, Ajith appeared in fewer films due to his career in motor racing becoming more prominent.[48] 2003 saw the release of his long-delayedEnnai Thalatta Varuvala and the police dramaAnjaneya, both failing commercially. In that period, three successful films, namelySaamy,Kaakha Kaakha andGhajini, were turned away by the actor due to various reasons.[49]
His next film,Jana withSneha, also became a big failure, with the Saran filmAttagasam, being his only hit in the period.[citation needed] The film saw Ajith portray a dual role, with a song "Thala Deepavali", penned to promote his action image. In 2005, the failure of theLinguswamy filmJi, despite garnering positive reviews and taking a strong opening, saw Ajith take a sabbatical from acting to re-work his image.[50][51] Of the five films released between 2003 and 2005, his only box office hit wasAttagasam.
During 2006, Ajith returned from his hiatus by appearing inP. Vasu'sParamasivan for which he had lost twenty kilograms to portray the lead role.[52] The film enjoyed a moderate success, scoring over Vijay'sAathi, which also released in the same week, at the box office.[53] Critics fromThe Hindu stated that Ajith looked "trim and taut" in the film with "only his eyes seeming to have lost some of its sparkle", following the major weight loss.[54] Furthermore, forParamasivan and his two other projects in 2006, Ajith sported long hair, which was being grown forBala's projectNaan Kadavul, which Ajith eventually opted out of.[55] Similarly, his next film,AVM Productions's,Thirupathi, directed byPerarasu performed above average business at the box office, despite garnering poor reviews, withRediff critics citing that the film is "anything but sensible", but that Ajith "salvages the situation with a spirited performance".[56] Ajith summed up a successful comeback by the release of his long-delayed action dramaVaralaru, which went on to become his third biggest success afterVaali andVillain. TheK. S. Ravikumar film co-starringAsin andKanika, which was in production for nearly two years, portrayed Ajith in a triple role with one of them being a classicalBharatanatyam dancer, with his portrayal of his three roles being critically praised.[57][58] Moreover, the film earned Ajith his third Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[citation needed] In 2007, media reports hinted that the actor would do a project withShankar.[citation needed] Ajith's first release in 2007,Aalwar, became a debacle at the box office, with his previous film still continuing to run in theatres even afterAalwar had stopped its brief theatrical run.[citation needed]Kireedam, a remake of the 1989National Award-winningMalayalam film of the same name, was released to positive reviews, with the film also becoming a moderate success.[59] During the shooting of the film, Ajith developed a further spinal injury, a recurrence of his problem earlier in his career.[citation needed]
Ajith then starred inBilla, a remake of the 1980Rajinikanth-starrerof the same name. TheVishnuvardhan-directorial fetched critical praise for Ajith, becoming a trend-setter for stylish art direction and cinematography in India.[60]Billa, yet again, featured Ajith in a dual role, one of a notorious don whilst the other played an ordinary person who had to act as the don, following the former's death.Billa also earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. AfterBilla, Ajith appeared in the film,Ayngaran International's productionAegan, directed by choreographerRaju Sundaram. The film, a remake of the 2004Hindi comedyMain Hoon Na, received mixed reviews and was a failure at the box office.[61]
Following a year of production, Ajith'sAasal, released in February 2010, taking a grand opening at the box office. The film, which also featured Ajith in a dual role, also failed at the box office despite bigger expectations.[62]
After a second foray into motor racing, Ajith signed a film directed byVenkat Prabhu, titledMankatha, which notably became his 50th project.[citation needed] The film featured him in a full-length negative role as Vinayak Mahadevan, a suspended police officer with a lust for money. His performance and his decision to portray a character with negative shade, breaking the stereotype hero image in Tamil cinema,[63][64] were lauded by critics, with reviewers fromSify andRediff terming the film as an "out and out Ajith film" that worked "only because of Ajith".[65][66] Heaping praise on the actor's performance, the former noted that he "rocks as the man with ice in his veins as the mean and diabolic cop" and that he played "the emotionless bad man, to perfection",[65] while the latter wrote that practically "he carried the whole film on his capable shoulders".[66]Mankatha emerged as a commercial success and earned him his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[63]
Ajith then starred inBilla II, a sequel to his 2007 filmBilla, which released on 13 July 2012. Reviewers appreciated Ajith's on-screen presence and stunts but blamed him for the choice of story and the director.[67][68][69] Eventually, the film performed poorly at the box office.[70]He starred inVishnuvardhan'sArrambam, alongsideArya,Nayantara andTaapsee Pannu, which was released on 31 October, and earned positive reviews from both critics and audience.[71]Arrambam earned him his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. His next film wasVeeram, directed bySiva and co-starringTamannaah, which was released onPongal 2014,[72] which also earned positive reviews from critics.[citation needed] Ajith's next film wasYennai Arindhaal, withGautham Vasudev Menon as director.[73] Ajith's performance as a cop was widely praised with a critic calling it "Ajith's best sinceKandukondain Kandukondain".[74] BothVeeram andYennai Arindhaal earned him his ninth and tenth nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. Ajith worked with Siva again inVedalam (2015), in which critics praised his performance.[citation needed] His latest project isVivegam which received mixed-to-negative reviews with critics citing illogical scenes and average screenplay.[75] His next release,Viswasam, was released on Pongal festival of 2019.[76] Ajith later starred inNerkonda Paarvai, remake of the Hindi film,Pink (2016), which was released in the same year.[77]
In 2022, Ajith collaborated with Vinoth, again, forValimai. It was written and directed by Vinoth. It released on 24 February to mixed reviews from both the critics and audience, alike.[citation needed] The following year in 2023, they collaborated again for the bank heist thriller,Thunivu.[78] It was produced byBoney Kapoor and it was the third collaboration of the team consisting of Ajith, Boney Kapoor, H. Vinoth, and Nirav Shah.Ghibran composed the music and background score for the film.[79]
His upcoming films areVidaamuyarchi directed byMagizh Thirumeni, andGood Bad Ugly directed byAdhik Ravichandran.
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In the late 1990s, Ajith began his own film distribution company called Circuit 9000. In 1998, he announced that he would close the business and refrain from producing, distributing or directing films in the future.[29]
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 ofurban sprawl.[80]
In 2004, Ajith was signed asNescafe's brand ambassador in Tamil Nadu.[81] He has since limited his appearance to the silver screen by not appearing in or promoting any commercials.
Ajith is passionate aboutUAVs anddrones.[82] Recently he was appointed as the test pilot and UAV system advisor byMadras Institute of Technology[83] for Medical Express-2018 UAV Challenge.
In November 2023, Ajith started 'Venus Motorcycle Tours', a motorcycle touring agency.[84]
Besides his acting career, Ajith is also an occasionalracing driver, competing in circuits around India in places such asMumbai,Chennai and Delhi. He is one among very few Indians to race in the International arena and inFIA championships. He has also been abroad for various races, including Germany andMalaysia. He drove in the 2003Formula Asia BMW Championships.[8] He raced in the 2010 Formula 2 Championship along with two other Indians,Armaan Ebrahim andParthiva Sureshwaren.[9]
After a one-off race during theFormula Maruti Indian Championships in 2002, where he finished in fourth place, Ajith signed a contract with manager Akbar Ebrahim, confirming his participation in the inauguralFormula BMW Asia championship. Despite spinning out in the first lap of his first race, Ajith successfully completed the season by finishing twelfth.[85]
After a six-year sabbatical, Ajith signed up for his third season of car racing by participating in the2010 season of theFIA Formula Two Championship.[86] The decision to be involved in the sport was made after Ajith's film directed byGautham Vasudev Menon was delayed, allowing him to participate in the whole season.[87] Prior to signing up, he competed in the final round of the MRF racing series inChennai in February 2010, but failed to finish the race due to mechanical problems. Further trials inSepang, 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.[88]
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Ajith Kumar debuted with his own newly-formed teamAjith Kumar Racing in theFIA24H Series in thePorsche 992 GT3 Cup Category. This also marks his return to racing after a 15-year gap and reportedly shed 25 kilograms in preparation for the race.
He participated alongside Fabian Duffieux, Mathieu Detry &Cameron McLeod. The team secured third place in the 991 category, and he also received the Spirit of the Race recognition in the GT4 category.[89]
Ajith dated actressHeera Rajagopal in the mid-1990s, but he ended the relationship in 1998.[90][91][92]
In 1999, during the shoot ofSaran'sAmarkalam, Ajith started dating his co-starShalini.[citation needed] At that time, their involvement made them a regular subject oftabloid gossip. Despite the fact actorRamesh Khanna advised Ajith not to marry an actress,[93] Ajith proposed to Shalini in June 1999 and they were married in April 2000 in Chennai.[94] They have two children together: a daughter (born 2008) and a son (born 2015).[citation needed][95][96] Through his marriage to Shalini, he became brother-in-law to actorRichard Rishi and actressShamili, who appeared as his sister-in-law inRajiv Menon'sKandukondain Kandukondain.
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