Happy birthday Ajith- For whom respect means more than stardom

CHENNAI: As Ajith Kumar is busy responding to his birthday wishes through texts and calls, his fans have taken over the internet and have been showing their adulation for him. He is aware of all the love he has gained among the masses in all these years. But it is the respect that he keeps striving for through his on screen characters and off screen maturity in all these years.

We have all seen him on screen and how Ajith voices for social causes in each of his films. However, the respect that he has gained throughout his career isn't something that happened overnight. People who know Ajith upclose and personal, would tell you the massive amount of work he has put in which has elevated his public image and persona. Else why would a person, who doesn't show up at 'any movie or political related events' be mobbed for selfies in the airports, biking trails, or polling booths?

Away from social media and monikers:

Ajith is wary of his public image, which is why avoiding the moniker of Thala, comes across as an important decision to him. He avoided social media because that would also put an end to fan wars to an extent. He is not game for banners, cutouts and idol worshipping through 'paal abishekam' on the day of his film's release. In fact, he requested his fans to prioritise their families over anything. The recent videos of the actor in polling booth queue are still trending. We were told about how he cast his vote early in the morning to avoid commotion, making it a point to not cause any inconvenience for the general public or misuse his popularity in several aspects.

The answer to Ajith's political entry:

A few hours ago, Ajith's birthday dinner was held at a private hotel in the city. With his competitor foraying into politics, it is quite natural for a person to be curious if Ajith too is keen on entering the political arena. Though the answer is quite obvious, he believes in keeping his private circle organised and healthy. Ajith refers to people close to him as his 'immediate family' or 'extended family'. Like his dialogue in Veeram, "Nammala sutthi irukaravana namma nalla paathukita, kadavul namma nalla paathupaar" (When we look after the ones close to us really well, god will look after us well too).

He has been reiterating that, "When I look after 50 people around me, they can take care of five people well and two others will benefit from those five." That is his way of governance. We hope your question is answered now.

DT Next wishes Ajith a very happy and a healthy 53rd birthday.