Happy Birthday 'Thala' Ajith: 8 Of His Most Powerful Performances

Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar’s unique style and unmatchable acting prowess has firmly established him as a deadly cocktail of ‘class’ and ‘mass’.

News18.com

Updated:May 1, 2016, 1:26 PM IST

Happy Birthday 'Thala' Ajith: 8 Of His Most Powerful Performances

Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar’s unique style and unmatchable acting prowess has firmly established him as a deadly cocktail of ‘class’ and ‘mass’.

New Delhi: Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar’s unique style and unmatchable acting prowess has firmly established him as a deadly cocktail of ‘class’ and ‘mass’. Today as actors die-hard fans celebrate his birthday, here is a quick look at some of Thala’s finest films.

Aasai: Generally regarded as Ajith’s breakout film, this Vasanth-directed venture featured the actor playing the role of a love-struck young man. Ajith was paired opposite Suvalakshmi and managed to garner tremendous acclaim for his heart-warming performance. Moreover, this Mani Ratnam-produced film also proved to be major winner at the box office, enjoying a 285 day run in theatres.

Vaali: Showcasing his abilities to pull off performance-oriented roles with absolute ease, Ajith played a double role in this critically-acclaimed thriller. Interestingly, the success attained by Vaali helped the Hyderabad-born superstar bag his maiden Filmfare award.

Ashoka: Even though this Santosh Sivan-directed historical drama was an out an out Shah Rukh Khan starrer, Ajith made quite a stir amongst movie lovers by holding his own against king Khan. This remains the actor’s only Bollywood outing till date. Its Tamil dubbed version is titled ‘Samrat Ashoka’.

Mankatha: Ajith decided to bring out the bad man in him by essaying a villainous character in his gripping action-thriller. The actor’s performance clicked with critics and audiences alike, helping him bag the Vijay award for best actor in a negative role.

Billa: A remake of Rajinikanth’s 1980 of the same name, Billa was considered to be a true a true test of Thala’s star power. Luckily, for the actor he passed the test with flying colours, when this Vishnuvardhan-directed gangster-thriller emerged a major moneyspinner at the ticket window. Ajith went on to star in the movie’s prequel as well. Titled ‘Billa 2’, it released nearly five years after the original.

Arrambam: Reuniting the Billa duo of Ajith and Vishnuvardhan, this stylish thriller proved to be a runaway hit with critics and audiences alike. It is best remembered for the actor’s powerful dialogues and taking a firm stand against corruption.

Veeram: Playing the role of a protective elder brother, Ajith delivered a realistic yet larger-than-life in this Siva-directed action film. Interestingly, the movie was thematically quite similar to previous flicks such as ‘Baasha’.

Yennai Arindhaal: Directed by popular filmmaker Gautham Menon, ‘Yennai Arindhaal’ served as a nice new year’s gift for Kollywood fans. Playing the role of a cop, the star delivered an unforgettable performance, thanks to his confident body language.