Birthday special: Ajith Kumar’s best performances you shouldn’t miss

Ajith Kumar is perhaps the most humble star we have today. Having started off as a model, Ajith debuted in Tamil with the film ‘Amaravathi’, which was a moderate success at the box office. However, it was with ‘Aasai’ that shot Ajith to fame. Since then, there was no looking back for the actor. Popularly known as Thala, Ajith Kumar’s fanbase keeps increasing with every passing day. He has come a long way in films and has acted in both critically and commercially acclaimed films. Ajith’s superstardom wasn’t overnight, as he constantly worked hard to achieve success. As Ajith Kumar celebrates his birthday today, let's take a look at five of his best performances that made him what he is today:

After playing supporting roles in films, Ajith Kumar’s major success came through ‘Aasai’, a romantic thriller directed by Vasanth. It revolves around a couple - Jeeva (Ajith Kumar) and Yamuna (Subbulakshmi), whose brother-in-law secretly lusts after her. Produced by Mani Ratnam, ‘Aasai’ became a gamechanger for Ajith Kumar and the film went on to become very successful at the box office. In fact, ‘Aasai’ won multiple state awards for its solid storyline and strong supporting cast. Interestingly, Vasanth initially offered ‘Aasai’ to Suriya, who eventually made his debut in the former’s ‘Nerukku Ner’. Apart from the story and performances, ‘Aasai’ is still known for its songs composed by Deva.

When ‘Vaali’ hit the screens in 1999, it was one of Ajith’s biggest hits at that point in time. In this thriller, Ajith Kumar plays a double role, twin brothers- Deva and Shiva. Deva is a mute by birth, while Shiva takes care of his brother. Both Deva and Shiva fall in love with the same woman Priya (Simran), who eventually marries the latter. However, things take a drastic turn when Deva lusts after Shiva’s wife Priya. The film, which was directed by SJ Suryah, turned the tables for Ajith, who gave a stellar performance in this one. ‘Vaali’ became a runaway hit at the box office and the songs composed by Deva were a trendsetter back then.

'Kandukondain Kandukondain' was a beautiful adaptation of the novel ‘Sense and Sensibilities’. Directed by Rajiv Menon, the film starred big names such as Mammootty, Ajith Kumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Tabu in lead roles. It’s safe to say that ‘Kandukondain Kandukondain’ is one of the really good films Ajith Kumar was part of. It tells the story of two sisters, played by Aishwarya Rai and Tabu, and their respective ambitions in life. On the other hand, Ajith Kumar played the role of an aspiring filmmaker Manohar in the film. Notably, Ajith’s portion with Tabu won the hearts of the audience. In fact, one of the major highlights of the film is the climax scene featuring the duo. ‘Kandukondain Kandukondain’ became a blockbuster at the box office and won several national and international awards. Even after all these years, the film is still remembered for its soulful songs by AR Rahman.

Ajith Kumar is not someone who is known to experiment in films. However, the ‘Billa’ actor upped the ante with the 2006 romantic thriller ‘Varalaru’, in which he played a triple role. The film was in production for a long time and the release was delayed due to several reasons. When it finally released on Diwali, ‘Varalaru’ opened to a terrific response from the audience and was an out-and-out money spinner at the box office. It revolves around the life of a father and his two sons, played by Ajith, who excelled in this one. The songs composed by AR Rahman were a smash hit. Ajith Kumar was highly praised for his performance as a Bharatanatyam dancer.

After appearing in many commercial potboilers, Ajith Kumar’s ‘Yennai Arindhaal’ came as a breath of fresh air. Directed by Gautham Menon, the film remains to be one of Ajith’s best performances in a long, long time. Touted to be the conclusion to Menon’s police trilogy that began in ‘Kaakha Kaakha’, it tells the story of a sincere police officer Sathyadev (Ajith Kumar), who tries to stop an organ-trafficking racket. However, Sathyadev is not aware of the fact that the man performing the illegal trade is the same person who killed his girlfriend Hemanika (Trisha Krishnan). But what’s amusing about the film is how Ajith dedicated himself to the script, which had a brief portion of Sathyadev grooming his step-daughter. ‘Yennai Arindhaal’, which released in 2015, opened to critical acclaim and commercial success. The critics, in particular, appreciated Ajith Kumar’s matured performance as Sathyadev.