Ajith Kumar: How the reclusive star’s reluctance became the very reason for his omnipresence

Ajith Kumar: How the reclusive star’s reluctance became the very reason for his omnipresence

Any hardcore Ajith Kumar fan will invariably take pride in the fact that his idol consciously avoids any kind of fan service. In a sense, their pride is not groundless. Heroes across languages toil to maintain their fanbase through organised associations or clubs. Visiting villages and towns to meet the head of the associations becomes an integral part of a hero’s journey if he wants to get promoted to the ‘star’ category. These fan bodies eventually become political parties if the hero decides to take the plunge, which was the case of Vijay’s Makkal Iyakkam. Among such heroes, Ajith dissolved his fan association in 2011 after churning out the biggest blockbuster of his career, Mankatha.

Mankatha, which marked the 50th film in Ajith’s career, restored the image of Ajith as a star in the industry after the actor suffered from consistent flops. Trade analysts claim Mankatha collected Rs 100 core, a humongous number for 2011. It was during such a high point in his career that Ajith made the shocking announcement.

The statement read, “I have never used my fans for my personal gain and will never do so. My fans always have the right to support my films if they are good and criticise them if bad. Many of my fans are not part of my association, and I am aware of that. That’s why I don’t discriminate among my fans. However, group clashes, disobedience, breaking the association’s law, and enforcing their individual opinions as associations’ decisions are some of the issues that have hurdled my functioning. Also, I want my fans to do their duties to their families and the association should not impede that. I also think to do good deeds an association is not mandatory. Due to all such reasons, on May 1, my 40th birthday, I am dissolving Ajith Welfare Association, which was functioning under me.”

While it was considered a bad move as it would take a toll on the reception of his films, the drastic step worked in favour of the actor. It turned out to be a masterstroke as Ajith Kumar quickly became a star who wasn’t after publicity or fame. Ajith’s noble move became another weapon in the arsenal of his vigilant fanbase, who kept using it to shut opponents in the numerous online battles that continued even after the association was dissolved.

In contrast to Ajith’s expectation that his fans would redirect their focus to real responsibilities, this move led to the increased popularity of the actor. It also led to many independent fan groups on social media that started to target fans of other actors. In 2017, Ajith had to step in with an official statement to warn against such toxic fandom, when many self-proclaimed fans of the stars started targeting critics and anyone who voiced an opinion against the Tamil star. In a strongly worded statement, Ajith claimed that he hasn’t given authority to any person or association to use his name for any purpose. “Persons misusing our client’s name have also been trolling members of the film industry, journalists, critics, and other individuals. While it is important to identify such miscreants and hold them accountable, our client unconditionally apologizes for any hurt or harm caused,” the statement read. This was perhaps a one-of-its-kind statement from a star against his fans, which again earned him more fans.

Watch | Ajith Kumar grabs fan’s phone, deletes video of him

When aggressive marketing has become as important as a script to a film, Ajith vehemently avoids interviews, audio launches, or anything that has to do with the promotion of his films. Of course, he released a one-line statement regarding that stand as well. In 2022, when rumours claimed that Ajith would be promoting his film Thunivu, he directed his publicist Suresh Chandra to tweet, “A good film is a promotion by itself!! – unconditional love! Ajith.” This was met with criticism as many trade analysts noted that the success of a film is also determined by the promotions, which have become an inevitable part of a film’s release.

Unintentionally, his steps to become a reclusive actor keep backfiring as the more he seems to be avoiding the limelight, the more it haunts him. The more he hides himself from the public eye, the more he is sought out. That’s why, even in Chennai, where the paparazzi culture is not as prevalent as it is in Bollywood, Ajith gets mobbed by cameras and fans at public places like airports. On the other hand, Ajith stays in the news for everything that has nothing to do with cinema. The photos and videos of his bike trips, his tryst with drones, his culinary skills, and his trips to foreign countries go viral. To date, Ajith, who doesn’t have a social media presence, hasn’t moved a finger to promote his movies. Yet, all his films manage to get into the top ten blockbusters of the year. It is either due to the unrelenting patronage of his fans or a brilliant marketing strategy.

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