Ajith Kumar Birthday Special: From Asoka to Mankatha, 7 Movies That Made 'Thala' Go Beyond His Mass Persona Image
As Ajith Kumar aka Thala, as his fans call him, turns 53, let's look at seven movies of his in the past two decades where the superstar went beyond his massy persona!
Ajith Kumar is currently in a phase of his career where critics and negative reviews no longer hold sway at the box office. Releasing one movie annually, Ajith consistently delivers blockbusters. Regardless of their box office performance, Thala, as he is fondly called, frequently embarks on extended breaks to spend quality time with his family and indulge in Himalayan rally rides. Despite his fans' eagerness to see him in Magizh Thirumeni's Vidaa Muyarchi and Adhik Ravichandran's Good Bad Ugly, the superstar remains in the most relaxed phase of his career. Good Bad Ugly: Ajith Kumar Collabs With Mythri Movie Makers For Pongal 2025 Release.
Reflecting on Ajith's career, there have been allegations of him shying away from experimenting with his roles. Undoubtedly, Ajith gravitates towards mass-oriented characters, primarily for his vast fanbase. However, those acquainted with his career recognize his inclination towards diverse roles, even within mainstream cinema.
As Ajith turns 53, let's revisit seven movies from the past two decades where the superstar transcended his mass appeal persona!
Asoka
Let's start with his first and only foray into Bollywood, and also into historicals. In this Shah Rukh Khan film, directed by Santosh Sivan, Ajith Kumar played Prince Susima, Asoka's scheming, jealous step-brother who wants him dead. This is one of those rare times when Ajith played a negative role without a double role to balance it out, unlike the next entry. From Shah Rukh Khan in Asoka to Salman Khan in Tubelight, 15 Times Popular Stars Were Miscast in Movies That Came Out This Century.
Vaalee
In this highly engaging thriller with some really terrific songs, Ajith plays twins. One of whom is a mute stalker who lusts after his trusting brother's wife. Icky!
Varalaru
Ajith is a fine performer and that is established in Varalaru, where he excelled both as an effeminate dancer and a remorseless killer. Ajith won a Filmfare award for Best Actor, and rightly so!
Kandukondain Kandukondain
Before he went all massy, Ajith had done some really great romantic roles in the past. The reason why we picked this Rajeev Kumar film is that it is one of the rare times Ajith was in romantic elements and also played well in an ensemble.
Mankatha
Sure, he has done grey roles, but Ajith in Mankatha was pure evil. A manipulative, remorseless schemer, who doesn't mind breaking hearts and killing people, Ajith was quite fun to watch as delivered one punchline after another in this Venkat Prabhu film.
Yennai Arindhaal
Ajith Kumar plays a righteous cop in this Gautham Menon blockbuster, which also features him as a single father. In fact, some of the best scenes in the movie feature him in his paternal persona.
English Vinglish
Ajith has a cameo in the Tamil version of this Sridevi film (Amitabh Bachchan did the same role in Hindi). It was fun to watch Ajith let himself loose in a heartwarming hilarious role that makes us wish he had more screentime.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2024 12:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).