History of Ajith in Tamil Movie Industry
In 1995, after a supporting role in the Vijay starrer Rajavin Parvayiley , Ajith appeared in his first major success,Aasai.The film directed by Vasanth.The film became became a big success and established Ajith as an upcoming actor in the Tamil Movie Industry.Ajith's next Vaanmathi was also a hit and he later played the lead in Kalluri Salai co-starring Prasanth.Ajith's second blockbuster came in the form of National Award winning Kadhal Kottai.
After the success of his films in 1996, the following year saw a series of five failures,the most notable being
Amitabh Bachchan's Tamil production Ullasam.Ajith returned with another successful project in Saran's Kadhal Manan with the masala film setting the foundations for an expanding fan base.Following films Aval Varuvala and Unnidathil Ennai Kuduthen also became successes, with the latter featuring Ajith in a praised guest role. After a couple of average grossers in Uyirodu Uyiraga and Thodarum and Unnaithedi became another comeback film and set the tone for a series of big successes.S.J.Suryha's thriller Vaali which portrayed him in dual roles became his biggest hit til date following it's release.The two following supporting roles in the drama films Aanandha Poongatrey and Nee Varuvayena also brought Ajith plaudits for his portrayals.His final film before the new millennium was another blockbuster,Amarkalam directed by Saran.
His next,Mugavari 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 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".[13] He also appeared in A.R.Rahman's 2000 musical Kandukonden Kandukonden directed by Rajiv Menon.
The blockbuster featured Ajith alongside prominent actors Mammoty and Raguvaran and actresses Aishwarya rai and Thabu.
In 2001, Ajith appeared in Dheena, A. R. Murugadoss's debut film co-starring Laila Mehdin and Suresh Gopi. The film, indirectly marked the beginning of a new image of Ajith, that of an action hero that would appeal to the masses.Furthermore from the successful film, Ajith's nickname in the film, Thala, Tamil for Leader, became a new identity for the actor amongst his fans.His next was the much-hyped thriller, Citizen, portraying Ajith in ten different get-ups and it became an above average success at the box office, despite being labelled a disappointment from critics.A role in the family drama, Poovellam Un Vasam was a success commercially and critically earning a Special Best Actor Award from the Tamil Nadu State.The year ended off with an appearance in Santosh Sivan's Hindi project, Asoka, in which Ajith appeared in a brief negative role alongside Shah Rukh Khan. 2002 saw Ajith appear in three films, the first two; Red and Raja being average grossers, the former further building up his image as an action hero.The third film, Villain, in which Ajith appeared in dual roles, one as a mentally ill handicap, became a blockbuster and in return earning Ajith his second Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award.
The following years, from 2003 til 2005, saw Ajith appear in a fewer amount of 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. His next Jana also became a big failure, with the Saran film, Attagasam being his only hit in the period.The film, saw Ajith portray dual roles, 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.
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 Aadhi, which also released in the same week, at the box-office.Critics from The Hindu stated 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, 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 film, Varalaru which went on to become his biggest success til date. The K. S. Ravikumar film co-starring Asin, portrayed Ajith in three roles, including that of a classical dancer, with his portrayals being critically praised.Moreover, the film fetched Ajith his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, on it's way to becoming a blockbuster. 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 it's 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 shoot of the film, Ajith developed a further spinal injury, a recurrence of his problem earlier in his career.
Ajith then starred in a remake of a 1980s Rajinikanth starrer, Billa, which became a blockbuster.The film fetched critical praise for Ajith, becoming a trendsetter for stylish art direction and cinematography in India. Billa, yet again, featured Ajith in dual roles one of a notorious don whilst the other played an innocent person who had to act as the don, following the former's death. After Billa, Ajith appeared in the film Ayngaran International production Aegan, directed by the choreographer turned director Raju Sundaram. remake of only managed to do average business at the box office.Following a year's worth of production, Ajith's latest release, Aasal released in February 2010, taking a grand opening at the box office. The film, which also featured Ajith in dual roles, saw Ajith creditted as a screenwriter along with his role of being a don neglected by his brothers in the quest for their father's will.After a seconf foray into motor racing, Ajith has signed up to star in a film directed by Gautham Menon, which is likely to start in late 2010.
ASAL MOVIE REVIEW
Starring: : Ajith, Sameera Reddy, Bhavana. Direction: Saran
Music: Bharadwaj
Production: Sivaji Productions
The Ajith-Saran combination is at it again.Asal is in theaters and
it is celebration time for all Ajith fans.The stakes are bigger this t
ime with Asal being Ajith’s 49th film and it is also special becaus
e the titles of the film name Ajith as co-director of the movie.He
is also credited for the story, screenplay and dialogues along wi
control for Ajith worked well for Asal.
Asal is a story of feud between three brothers over property; two
brothers (Sampath Kumar and Rajeev Krishna) on one side with
p the family from breaking down. No marks for guessing who is
the righteous one, who else but Ajith Kumar?! The feud that exis
ts as an undercurrent in the presence of their father (Ajith again)
turns ugly and personal after he passes away. It grows bigger wi
th the two brothers joining in to elbow out Ajith.He graciously st
But, the two brothers are just not able to handle the huge wealth
and the responsibility that it brings. Their wealth attracts trouble
and it is up to Ajith to come back and save his brothers. Do thin
gs end there or does the feud continue, does wealth disintegrate
the family and how does Ajith conquer all the odds? Watch Asal
to find out.
The first and most important thing about Asal is that it is an out
and out Ajith movie. Not that anyone needs to be told this, it is
an obvious fact. But, Asal is a full length celebration of Ajith’s
persona, something his fans will absolutely adore. But, the film
does have its weak points too. It is indeed sad that such a
potential team ended up shooting a rather weak script. The main
defect here is the characters sketch of the villains. They just don’t
seem menacing or threatening enough to stand up to Ajith. It robs
the excitement out of the confrontations making it look like cakew
alks for Ajith. The only strong negative character (Kelly Dorji) is
finished off prematurely which also stunts the growth of Ajith’s
character. It is also pretty dampening that the much expected Ajith
double act is only there for the first few minutes in the film. It should
also be said that the opening sequences of the film do leave you a bit
disappointed; the intros just don’t pack a punch. But, on the brighter
side, the script does manage to throw a few surprises when you least
expect them,like the one at the interval point. Saran has been successful
in keeping the viewer guessing about certain things right until the end.
The climax portions however should have been better. The finish looks
literally forced into the script, with a fight inside a warehouse. There is
not much room for romance. But, whatever little is there looks good.
The silent tussle between Sameera and Bhavana over who gets Ajith
is cute and Saran could have extended it a bit. One thing about the
movie that could have been much better is the placement of songs;
most of them look like appendages hanging loosely out of the main
narrative.
As said above, this movie is all about Ajith and his persona. It would
not be wrong to say that at many points it seems as if Ajith, the star,
has been given more importance than the script itself. Trust Ajith to
carry off a larger than life role with ease. He strides the screen with
ease, having a presence that few others can boast of. He looks stylish
in every frame; the hairstyle, the sideburns and the cigar sit well on him.
In fact, Ajith’s presence is one of the main factors that stops one from
getting bored. Sampath, Rajeev Krishna and Pradeep Rawat do their
jobs as villains without too great an impact. As said above, their characters
look like weak adversaries for Ajith. Sameera Reddy has a role of
consequence in the movie and does pretty well, but there is no huge
scope for performance. Bhavana looks cute in a role that demands
only as much. She however impresses with her dance moves in the
first part of the Dushyantha song. Yuhi Sethu tries hard to provide
a few comic moments, succeeding partially on the rare occasion;
his side kicks trying hard with a few gimmicks as well. Prabhu is a
dignified presence.
The fact that this is a film made under Sivaji Productions can be
sensed in the way the film has shaped up. The producer has left
no stone unturned to make the film look rich, slick and sophisticated
throughout. Be it the sets, the interiors, the locations or costumes, no
expense has been spared. The story is set mainly in France, with a
portion happening in Mumbai. The richness of the streets France has
been transferred beautifully onto screen by Prashanth’s camera. The
camerawork keeps the viewer visually pleased, partially compensating
for flaws in the script. Action should have been better. Only the fight
between Ajith and Kelly close to the interval stirs up excitement, it is
plain on all other occasions. Music by Bharadwaj does not lend any
strength to the movie, except Dushyantha and the BGM looks pretty
unimaginative. Dialogues focus mostly on the word ‘Thala’ and the
different ways in which it can be used. Imaginative for sure, but it
could have been toned down a bit. Nevertheless, it does provide
fans with an opportunity to cheer loudly.