Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 17:45, 24 December 2024

Ajith Kumar
Ajith in 2010 at Irungattukottai Race Track
Born	S. Ajith Kumar (1971-05-01) 1 May 1971 (age 53) Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (present-day Telangana)
Occupations	Actor Racing driver
Years active	1990–present
Works	Filmography
Spouse	Shalini ​(m. 2000)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Ajith Kumar (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 61 films, and won four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. In addition to his acting career, Ajith is also an occasional racing driver and participated in the MRF 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 the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list three times.

Ajith began his career with a small role in the 1990 Tamil romantic drama En Veedu En Kanavar. After his success in Rajavin Parvaiyile, his first major breakthrough was Aasai (1995), Ajith established himself as a romantic hero with Kadhal Kottai (1996), Kaadhal Mannan (1998) and Aval Varuvala (1998), and established himself as an action hero starting with the film Amarkalam (1999). Ajith's dual portrayal of twin brothers—where one is deaf-mute—in S. J. Suryah's Vaali (1999) won him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. He earned critical acclaim for his dual roles in the vigilante film Citizen (2001). He was also praised for his dual role performance in K. S. Ravikumar’s Villain (2002) where he won his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Tamil. In 2006, he starred in K. S. Ravikumar's Varalaru, in which he played three different 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. The following year he starred in two remakes—Kireedam (2007) and Billa (2007), both of which earned him critical acclaim. Ajith played an antagonist in his 50th film Mankatha (2011), which became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time. His next release, Billa II (2012), was Tamil cinema's first prequel.

Ajith has also been abroad for various races, including Germany and Malaysia. He drove in the 2003 Formula Asia BMW Championships. He raced in the 2010 Formula 2 Championship along with two Indians, Armaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaren.

Early life

Ajith Kumar was born on 1 May 1971. His father, P. Subramaniam (died 2023), was born in Thanjavur with roots in Palakkad, Kerala and his mother, Mohini, is Sindhi from Kolkata, West Bengal. Ajith was the middle son out of three brothers, one of his other brothers is Anil Kumar, an IIT Madras graduate-turned-entrepreneur.

Ajith dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School during his tenth grade, before he had completed his higher secondary schooling. Through a family friend who worked with the Enfield company, Ajith was able to get a job as an apprentice and spent six months training to be a mechanic. He later quit the role at the insistence of his father, who wanted Ajith to have a white-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. 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. During the period, Ajith also began working on modelling assignments alongside his work. He was notably scouted by P. C. Sreeram during the making of a commercial for Hercules Cycle and Motor Company, who felt he had the appearance to become an actor.

Acting career

1990–1998

Ajith began his acting career through a one-scene appearance as a school child in En Veedu En Kanavar (1990). Through the recommendation of S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, whose son was a classmate of Ajith, he was cast in his first lead role in the Telugu romantic drama Prema 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. As a result, his first major theatrical release was the Tamil romantic drama Amaravathi (1993), which Ajith had signed after being recommended to director Selva by Balasubrahmanyam, who had seen parts of Prema Pusthakam prior to its delay. 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 actor Vikram. 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 the Arvind Swami-starrer Paasamalargal (1994) and Vijay-starrer Rajavin Parvaiyile (1995). He was also seen in the family drama Pavithra (1994), which featured him as an ailing patient shown maternal affection by Radhika's character.

Ajith's first commercially successful film as a lead actor was the romantic thriller Aasai (1995). The film, directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam featured him in the lead role opposite Suvalakshmi, whose brother-in-law lusts for her. It performed well at the box office and established Ajith as an upcoming actor in the Tamil film industry. Aasai also earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. He later played a college student in Kalloori Vaasal, co-starring Prashanth and Pooja Bhatt. Ajith's second successful film came in the form of National Award winning Kadhal Kottai, in which Ajith reunited with Agathiyan, the director of the earlier project Vaanmathi. The film paired him opposite Devayani, with Heera Rajgopal playing a supporting role.

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. A notable project among the five films was Amitabh Bachchan's Tamil production Ullaasam (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.

Ajith returned in 1998 with another big, successful project in Saran's Kaadhal Mannan, an action romantic comedy, setting the foundation for an expanding fan base. He also began acting in Vasanth's Nerukku Ner, and was later replaced by debutant Suriya. Ajith’s next films Aval Varuvala and Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen also became successes, with the former pairing him with Simran for the first time and the latter featuring him in a guest role alongside Karthik. Except for Uyirodu Uyiraga, which performed poorly, his other three films released in 1998 were box office hits.

1999–2008

Ajith started 1999 with Ramesh Khanna's Thodarum and Sundar C's romantic drama Unnaithedi opposite Malavika. S. J. Suryah's thriller Vaali, which portrayed Ajith in a dual role for the first time in his career, became one of his biggest hits at that time. 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. 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". The two following roles in the drama films Anandha Poongatre and Nee Varuvai Ena also brought Ajith plaudits for his portrayals. His 25th and final film before the new millennium was Amarkalam, directed by Saran and featuring Shalini, 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.

His first film of the new millennium, Mugavaree, won him commercial and critical praise. 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". He also appeared in A. R. Rahman's 2000 multi-starrer Kandukondain Kandukondain, directed by Rajiv Menon. The film featured Ajith alongside prominent actors Mammooty and Abbas and actresses Tabu and Aishwarya Rai. 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. After giving six straight hits in 1999, and having had Mugavaree and Kandukondain Kandukondain in 2000 as successes, Ajith had an unsuccessful film, Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven, co-starring Simran.

In 2001, Ajith appeared in three commercially successful Tamil films. Dheena co-starring Laila and Suresh Gopi, released at Pongal and marked the beginning of a new image of Ajith as an action hero who would appeal to the masses. He earned the nickname, "Thala" (Leader), from this film. In the same year, he was offered a role in Nandha, which he rejected and was later replaced by Suriya, the eldest son of actor Sivakumar. His next was the much-hyped thriller Citizen, portraying him in ten different get-ups and it became a commercial success at the box office. A role in the family drama Poovellam Un Vasam followed opposite Jyothika and was a critical and commercial success, earning him the Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award and his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. The year ended off with a brief appearance in Santosh Sivan's Hindi project Asoka, in which Ajith played as one of the antagonist against Shah Rukh Khan, which did not perform well. In 2002, Ajith appeared in three films, the first two, Red and Raja being box office disappointments, the former further building up his image as an action hero. The third film Villain, directed by K. 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.

From 2003 through 2005, Ajith appeared in fewer films due to his career in motor racing becoming more prominent. 2003 saw the release of his long-delayed Ennai Thalatta Varuvala and the police drama Anjaneya, both failing commercially. In that period, three successful films, namely Saamy, Kaakha Kaakha and Ghajini, were turned away by the actor due to various reasons.

His next film, Jana with Sneha, also became a big failure, with the Saran film Attagasam, being his only hit in the period. The film saw Ajith portray a dual role, with a song "Thala Deepavali", penned to promote his action image. In 2005, the failure of the Linguswamy film Ji, despite garnering positive reviews and taking a strong opening, saw Ajith take a sabbatical from acting to re-work his image. Of the five films released between 2003 and 2005, his only box office hit was Attagasam.

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. The film enjoyed a moderate success, scoring over Vijay's Aathi, which also released in the same week, at the box office. Critics from The 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. Furthermore, for Paramasivan and his two other projects in 2006, Ajith sported long hair, which was being grown for Bala's project Naan Kadavul, which Ajith eventually opted out of. Similarly, his next film, AVM Productions's, Thirupathi, directed by Perarasu performed above average business at the box office, despite garnering poor reviews, with Rediff critics citing that the film is "anything but sensible", but that Ajith "salvages the situation with a spirited performance". Ajith summed up a successful comeback by the release of his long-delayed action drama Varalaru, which went on to become his third biggest success after Vaali and Villain. The K. S. Ravikumar film co-starring Asin and Kanika, portrayed Ajith in a triple role with one of them being a classical Bharatanatyam dancer, with his portrayal of his three roles being critically praised. Moreover, the film earned Ajith his third Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. In 2007, media reports hinted that the actor would do a project with Shankar. 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 after Aalwar had stopped its brief theatrical run. Kireedam, a remake of the 1989 National Award-winning Malayalam film of the same name, was released to positive reviews, with the film also becoming a moderate success. During the shooting of the film, Ajith developed a further spinal injury, a recurrence of his problem earlier in his career.

Ajith then starred in Billa, a remake of the 1980 Rajinikanth-starrer of the same name. The Vishnuvardhan-directorial fetched critical praise for Ajith, becoming a trend-setter for stylish art direction and cinematography in India. 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. After Billa, Ajith appeared in the film, Ayngaran International's production Aegan, directed by choreographer Raju Sundaram. The film, a remake of the 2004 Hindi comedy Main Hoon Na, received mixed reviews and was a failure at the box office.

2010–2019

Following a year of production, Ajith's Aasal, 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.

After a second foray into motor racing, Ajith signed a film directed by Venkat Prabhu, titled Mankatha, which notably became his 50th project. 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, were lauded by critics, with reviewers from Sify and Rediff terming the film as an "out and out Ajith film" that worked "only because of Ajith". 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", while the latter wrote that practically "he carried the whole film on his capable shoulders". Mankatha emerged as a commercial success and earned him his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.

Ajith then starred in Billa II, a sequel to his 2007 film Billa, 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. Eventually, the film performed poorly at the box office. He starred in Vishnuvardhan's Arrambam, alongside Arya, Nayantara and Taapsee Pannu, which was released on 31 October, and earned positive reviews from both critics and audience. Arrambam earned him his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. His next film was Veeram, directed by Siva and co-starring Tamannaah, which was released on Pongal 2014, which also earned positive reviews from critics. Ajith's next film was Yennai Arindhaal, with Gautham Vasudev Menon as director. Ajith's performance as a cop was widely praised with a critic calling it "Ajith's best since Kandukondain Kandukondain". Both Veeram and Yennai Arindhaal earned him his ninth and tenth nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. Ajith worked with Siva again in Vedalam (2015), in which critics praised his performance. His latest project is Vivegam which received mixed-to-negative reviews with critics citing illogical scenes and average screenplay. His next release, Viswasam, was released on Pongal festival of 2019. Ajith later starred in Nerkonda Paarvai, remake of the Hindi film, Pink (2016), which was released in the same year.

2022-present

In 2022, Ajith collaborated with Vinoth, again, for Valimai. It was written and directed by Vinoth. It released on 24 February to mixed reviews from both the critics and audience, alike. The following year in 2023, they collaborated again for the bank heist thriller, Thunivu. It was produced by Boney 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.

Other works

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.

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.

In 2004, Ajith was signed as Nescafe's brand ambassador in Tamil Nadu. He has since limited his appearance to the silver screen by not appearing in or promoting any commercials.

Ajith is passionate about UAVs and drones. Recently he was appointed as the test pilot and UAV system advisor by Madras Institute of Technology for Medical Express-2018 UAV Challenge.

In November 2023, Ajith started 'Venus Motorcycle Tours', a motorcycle touring agency.

Racing career

Besides his acting career, Ajith is also an occasional racing driver, competing 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 FIA championships. He has also been abroad for various races, including Germany and Malaysia. He drove in the 2003 Formula Asia BMW Championships. He raced in the 2010 Formula 2 Championship along with two other Indians, Armaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaren.

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 twelfth.

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 Vasudev Menon was delayed, allowing him to participate in the whole season. Prior to signing up, he 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.

24H Series (2025)

Ajith Kumar is set to debut with his own newly-formed team Ajith Kumar Racing in the FIA 24H Series in the Porsche 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 wil perform alongside Fabian Duffieux, Mathieu Detry & Cameron McLeod.

Personal life

Ajith dated actress Heera Rajagopal in the mid-1990s, but he ended the relationship in 1998.

In 1999, during the shoot of Saran's Amarkalam, Ajith started dating his co-star Shalini. At that time, their involvement made them a regular subject of tabloid gossip. Despite the fact actor Ramesh Khanna advised Ajith not to marry an actress, Ajith proposed to Shalini in June 1999 and they were married in April 2000 in Chennai. They have two children: a daughter (born 2008) and a son (born 2015). Through his marriage to Shalini, he became brother-in-law to actor Richard Rishi and actress Shamili, who appeared as his sister-in-law in Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain.

Filmography

Awards

See also

• List of dancers

Notes

1. Kireedam was a remake of the namesake 1989 Malayalam film while Billa was a remake of the 1980 Tamil film of the same name.
2. The film was a prequel to his 2007 film of the same name.

References

1. "Ajith Kumar: இது முதல்முறை அல்ல.. ரசிகர்களை கண்டித்து அஜித் இதுவரை வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கைகளின் விவரம் இதோ!". Times Now (in Tamil). 10 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
2. "Ajith Kumar - Forbes India Magazine". Forbes India. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
3. Kamath, Sudhish; Kannan, Ramya; Kumar, S.Shiva; Oppili, P. (29 December 2000). "Talk of the town". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016.
4. ^ Saraswathi, S. (5 February 2015). "Ajith's Top 10 Hits". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016.
5. Raghavan, Nikhil (16 July 2011). "What's on the cards?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016.
6. "Mankatha takes best opening of 2011". Sify. 2 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015.
7. Raghavan, Nikhil (29 April 2012). "The don of summer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016.
8. ^ "No act this!". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 15 September 2003. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
9. ^ "FIA Formula Two Championship 2011". Formulatwo.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
10. "Ajith celebrating his 41st birthday". The Times of India. 1 May 2013. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
11. "Actor Ajith's father passes away of ill health at 84". DT Next. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
12. "Tamil star Ajith Kumar's father P Subramaniam passes away at 84, last rites held at Chennai". The Economic Times. 24 March 2023.
13. "Pressure mounts but Ajith sticks to his position". The Times of India. 21 February 2010. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
14. "The Hindu : Friday Review Chennai : It's all about choices". The Hindu. 24 August 2007. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009.
15. Srinivasan, Karthik (4 February 2014). "Ajith Kumar's brother runs a social matchmaking site called Jodi365". Twitter.
16. ^ Rajitha (4 April 1997). "The Star Next Door". Rediff. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
17. ^ "டோடோவின் ரஃப் நோட்டு—Tamil Kavithai -- தமிழ் கவிதைகள் - நூற்று கணக்கில்!". Archived from the original on 10 February 2005.
18. ^ "Dinakaran". www.dinakaran.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2004. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
19. ^ Warrier, Shobha (6 April 1997). "Bad back, great future". Rediff. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
20. "SPB reveals truth about Ajith". The Times of India.
21. Vijayan, K. (19 December 1994). "Many flaws in this sentimental attempt". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
22. Warrier, Shobha (July 1999). "Rediff on the NeT, Movies: An interview with Ajith Kumar". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
23. Chandran, Sheela (26 October 2008). "Tough-guy role". The Star. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
24. "Bollywood, here come the south stars!". The Times of India. 2009. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
25. Rajitha (15 September 1999). "Pyar to hona hi tha". Rediff. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
26. ^ "Dinakaran". www.dinakaran.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2003. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
27. "Yukta signs her first film". Rediff. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
28. Kumar, Ashok (15 April 2000). "Star-spangled show on cards". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
29. Krishna, Sandya (1999). "Vaali:Review". Indolink.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
30. ^ Rajitha (2000). "Kamal joins the rat race". Rediff. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
31. Kumar, Ashok S.R (19 January 2001). "Hits and misses of the year that was". Rediff. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
32. Warrier, Shobha (6 March 2000). "The hero as a human being". Rediff. Archived from the original on 19 June 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
33. "Chennai's new cinematic idiom". The Hindu. 15 May 2000. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
34. "Kandukondain Kandukondain". Express India. 10 July 2000. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012.
35. Jain, Mimmy (8 August 2000). "I have seen... and conquered". Express India. Archived from the original on 29 April 2003.
36. "rediff.com, Movies: Gossip from the southern film industry". Rediff. 14 June 2000. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
37. Rao, Subha (7 June 2004). "Race (ing) to be a Star". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
38. "Surya looks back at his Ghajinidays". Rediff. 6 January 2009. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
39. Kamath, Sudhish (29 December 2000). "Talk of the Town". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
40. "Tamil Nadu announces film awards for three years". IndiaGlitz. 1 October 2004. Archived from the original on 24 October 2004.
41. "Friday Review Hyderabad : Troubled chapters from history". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 15 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 November 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
42. Rangarajan, Malathi (25 January 2002). ""Red"". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019.
43. Rangarajan, Malathi (11 July 2002). "Raja". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 January 2003. Retrieved 17 March 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
44. Moviebuzz (25 July 2003). "Ajit – Fast and Furious". Sify. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
45. PTI (17 May 2003). "Ajit, Simran bag Filmfare awards". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
46. Rao, Subha (24 November 2003). "A for attitude". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
47. "Ajith Kumar: Lesser known facts". The Times of India.
48. "Attagasam leads the race". IndiaGlitz. 16 November 2004. Archived from the original on 16 November 2004.
49. Pillai, Sreedhar (12 February 2005). "King of Opening is back!". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
50. "Ji' collapses, 'Constantine' rises!". Sify. 21 February 2005. Archived from the original on 15 September 2005. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
51. Warrier, Shobha (11 January 2006). "P Vasu: Ready for Paramasivan". Rediff. Archived from the original on 13 January 2006.
52. Warrier, Shobha (11 January 2007). "Ajith vs Vijay this Pongal". Rediff. Archived from the original on 12 January 2007.
53. Rangarajan, Mlaathi (20 January 2006). "Going in for a much-changed look". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
54. "More controversy for Naan Kadavul". Rediff. 23 June 2006. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
55. Sudha, S (17 April 2006). "Tirupathi: Anything but sensible". Rediff. Archived from the original on 30 April 2006.
56. Rangarajan, Malathi (27 January 2006). "In the race, surely – Varalaaru". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 19 August 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
57. Abbhi, Athisay (2006). "Ajith all the way in Varalaaru". Rediff. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008.
58. "Ajith, Bhavana win Filmfare awards". IndiaGlitz. 1 August 2007. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007.
59. "Shankar team-up with Ajith". Oneindia.in. 2007. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
60. Nath, Aparna (22 January 2007). "'Pokiri' the only Pongal hit". Nowrunning.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
61. "'Kireedom' is a box office hit!". OneIndia.com. 23 July 2007. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
62. "Ajith fans on sms campaign". IndiaGlitz. 2007. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
63. Rangarajan, Malathi (21 December 2007). "Billa beats boredom". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007.
64. Moviebuzz (24 October 2008). "Aegan:Movie Review". Sify. Archived from the original on 20 November 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
65. "Ajith's 'Aasal' hits screens this Friday". The Times of India. 2010. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
66. "MANKATHA TABLE SET FOR PLAY". Behindwoods. 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
67. ^ "Mankatha takes best opening of 2011". Sify. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
68. Rangarajan, Malathi (3 September 2011). "A gutsy game!". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
69. ^ "Movie review: Mankatha". Sify. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
70. ^ Srinivasan, Pavithra. "Review:Mankatha works only because of Ajith". Rediff. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
71. "Movie Review : Billa-2". Sify. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
72. "Billa Ii Review – Billa Ii Movie Review". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
73. "Review: Billa 2 fails to meet the expectations". Rediff. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
74. "Billa 2 movie review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
75. "Billa II Tamil Movie Review". IndiaGlitz. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
76. Billa II flops at the US & UK box office. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (1 August 2012). Retrieved on 2 July 2016.
77. Arrambam, release date. "Ajith 53". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
78. "Ajith's film with Siva is titled Veeram". The Times of India. 12 August 2013. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
79. "Veeram' Review Roundup: Complete Masala Entertainer for Ajith's Fans". 11 January 2014. Archived from the original on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
80. "Thala55 titled 'Yennai Arindhaal'". The Times of India. 30 October 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
81. "The hero has a name". The Hindu. 7 February 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
82. "Vedalam (aka) Vedhalam review". Behindwoods.com. 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016.
83. "Vivegam Review {3/5}: Action is what Vivegam promises and it is what the film offers – bangs for every buck". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
84. "Vivegam (aka) Vivekam review". Behindwoods. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
85. Viswasam Review {3/5}: The plot also becomes predictable once the real story unfolds. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (10 January 2019). Retrieved on 2019-01-18.
86. "Nerkonda Paarvai movie review: Ajith, Shraddha's Pink remake the most powerful Tamil film in a long time". Hindustan Times. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
87. "Valimai (aka) Valimaii review". Behindwoods. 24 February 2022.
88. "Ajith's 'Thunivu' could probably be a sequel to his character from 'Mankatha'!". The Times of India.
89. "'Thunivu' trailer: Ajith Kumar ups the ante yet again in slick actioner". The Hindu. 31 December 2022.
90. Kumar, Ashok S. R (22 December 2004). "Ajit's charitable side". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2004.
91. "AJITH IN NESCAFE SUNRISE AD". Youtube. 12 April 2009. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
92. "Ajith, actor, racer has another passion that took wings early". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
93. "Ajith to help Chennai MIT's drone mission". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
94. "Ajith Kumar's Venus Motorcycle Tours Create This World Record". News18. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
95. DriverDB (2003). "Formula BMW Asia 2003 standings". DriverDatabase. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2003.
96. "India's Ajith Kumar signs up for Formula Two". FIA Formula Two Championship. MotorSport Vision. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
97. Moviebuzz (2010). "Details of Gautham- Ajith film". Sify. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
98. Menon, Priya (2010). "Kollywood star gets behind the wheel after six-year break". The Star. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
99. "Most talked about link-ups in Kollywood". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
100. "Dinakaran". www.dinakaran.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2003. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
101. "Dinakaran". www.dinakaran.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2004. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
102. kollyspy (14 May 2016). "REVEALED: Untold Love Affairs of Ajith – Kollyspy.com". Kollyspy.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
103. "I warned Ajith not to marry an actress: Director Ramesh Kanna". 9 April 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
104. Kamath, Sudhish (26 April 2000). "Talk of the Town!". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
105. "Ajith – Shalini, blessed with a baby girl". IndiaGlitz. 3 January 2008. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
106. "Parvathy Nair Lauds 'Yennai Arindhaal' Co-Star Ajith's Personality". International Business Times. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.
107. "It's a baby boy for Ajith and Shalini". The Hindu. 2015. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
108. "Ajith – Shalini blessed with Kutty Thala". The Times of India. 2 March 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.

External links

• Ajith Kumar at IMDb

• 1971 births
• 20th-century Indian male actors
• 21st-century Indian male actors
• Filmfare Awards South winners
• Indian male film actors
• Indian racing drivers
• Indian Sindhi people
• JK Tyre National Level Racing Championship drivers
• Living people
• Male actors in Hindi cinema
• Male actors in Tamil cinema
• Male actors in Telugu cinema
• Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award
• Sindhi Hindus
• Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners
• Tamil sportspeople