Ajith Kumar's Journey in Milestones: Five Of His Most Memorable Performances

Kadhal Kottai (1996)

Ajith’s romantic drama became Sirf Tum in Hindi when it was later remade in 1999. It is an epistolary love story that simply cannot be set in today’s age, taking us back to a time when making phone calls to a lover was a luxury afforded to few. Along with Aasai (1995), it solidified Ajith’s image as Tamil cinema’s favourite lover boy, creating for him a new legion of female fans that continue to remain by his side even now, 30 years later.

Vaalee (1999)

From boy next door, Ajith made the shift to anti-hero with this 1999 drama. He played a dual role in the film, of two brothers, both distinctly different from each other. On the one hand, he remained the Ajith one had already seen before, playing the mischievous lover boy who will do anything to woo his lover. The other character, that of the older brother Deva, would be the start of a new line-up of roles for the actor, each darker and more sinister than the last. The impact of this film was such that the audiences then preferred to love their superstar a tad bit more when he donned a darker shade.

Dheena (2001)

Ajith would become a master at discovering fresh new voices who would go on to become top directors. He did it with S.J. Suryah in Vaalee and two years later, he would do the same with Dheena by introducing A.R. Murugadoss. Dheena was the film that christened him “Thala” or leader, a title that hardcore Tamil fans would give only to M.S. Dhoni. The film placed a complex sibling story in the world of gangsters, playing up the theme of loyalty, one that would become a part of several films later on.

Mankatha (2011)

A decade later, Ajith did the impossible by playing a total badass in Venkat Prabhu’s Mankatha. It was his 50th film and by this point, he had built a loyal fanbase that was the envy of every Indian superstar. He played an evil cop who did not need any redeeming qualities. He was great at being the bad guy and the film’s success was such that it would take years for stars of his generation to catch up. He also pioneered the salt and pepper look for this film, further redefining the image of the lead male star who could finally act his age on screen.

Yennai Arindhaal (2015)

In Gautham Vasudev Menon’s action thriller, Ajith aced the role of the sophisticated police officer who was just as comfortable being seated at a classical dance festival as he was chilling with Chennai’s most dreaded gangsters. It is often quoted to be the one film that comes close to Ajith’s real-life charm and persona. This film would go on to create a new set of fans for the actor, especially among the multiplex crowd. Like he did with Mankatha, he would rewrite the rules again; he played a man in love with a divorcee who has a daughter. A proposal scene in this film attained cult status and it soon became one of the best police characters Ajith has played.

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