He has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards, all for films which showcased him in multiple roles.

In addition to his acting, Ajith, in a sabbatical, participated in the 2004 British Formula Three season as a Formula Two racing driver and was ranked the third best motor car driver in India at his peak.

Ajith kumar placed 16th at world level actors for best driving skill and ability.

He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai (1995), before going on to establish himself as a romantic hero with Kadhal Kottai (1996), Aval Varuvala (1998) and Kadhal Mannan (1998) being the most notable.

He was later seen in method roles as in Vaali (1999), Mugavaree (2000), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Citizen (2001) before establishing himself as an action hero with popular films, including Amarkalam (1999), Dheena (2001), Villain (2002), Attagasam (2004), Varalaru (2006), Billa (2007) and Mankatha (2011).

Ajith remains a popular figure in the media of Tamil Nadu, making headlines for his relationships before his marriage to former actress Shalini, and his controversial statements in a few occasions.

Ajith's popularity and cultural influence have been compared to that of yesteryear actor M. G. Ramachandran by veteran journalist Cho Ramaswamy.

Ajith Kumar was born to a middle-class family in Secunderabad, a city north of Hyderabad, to a Palakkad Iyer and a Sindhi mother and was brought up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Ajith is a keen race car driver and has driven in circuits around India in places such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. Ajith is one among very few Indians to race in International arena and only Indian actor to compete in Formula championships.

He has also been abroad for various races, including Germany and Malaysia.

He drove in the 2003 Formula Asia BMW Championships. He raced in the 2010 Formula 2 Championship along with two other Indians, Armaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaren.