From mechanic to megastar: Fascinating facts about Ajith Kumar on his birthday

Ajith Kumar, fondly known as Thala, is celebrating his 53rd birthday today (May 1). To mark his special day, we have curated a few interesting facts about the Valimai star.

Long before becoming a star, Ajith left school in the 10th grade in Chennai to pursue his interest in mechanics. He even underwent six months of training to become a mechanic.

Ajith Kumar, now a Padma awardee for his contributions to cinema, once called himself an accidental actor. Revealed that acting was never in his plans. He said, “Acting was never on my radar. I am an accidental actor.''

Ajith Kumar is one of Tamil cinema's biggest stars. But did you know that he actually made his acting debut in a Telugu film — a language he didn’t even speak at the time.

Ajith's love for cars and bikes is well known. But beyond collecting them, he is also a professional car racer. In 2025, he made the country proud by securing third place at the Dubai 24H racing event.

Ajith prefers to let his work speak for itself. He is known for maintaining a low profile, avoiding public appearances, staying off social media, and skipping film promotions.

Before winning hearts with his looks and acting, Ajith worked in the garment export business, fulfilling his father’s wish for him to have a white-collar job.

Ajith Kumar, fondly known as Thala, is celebrating his 53rd birthday today (May 1). To mark his special day, we have curated a few interesting facts about the Valimai star.

Long before becoming a star, Ajith left school in the 10th grade in Chennai to pursue his interest in mechanics. He even underwent six months of training to become a mechanic.

Ajith Kumar, now a Padma awardee for his contributions to cinema, once called himself an accidental actor. Revealed that acting was never in his plans. He said, “Acting was never on my radar. I am an accidental actor.''

Ajith Kumar is one of Tamil cinema's biggest stars. But did you know that he actually made his acting debut in a Telugu film — a language he didn’t even speak at the time.

Ajith's love for cars and bikes is well known. But beyond collecting them, he is also a professional car racer. In 2025, he made the country proud by securing third place at the Dubai 24H racing event.

Ajith prefers to let his work speak for itself. He is known for maintaining a low profile, avoiding public appearances, staying off social media, and skipping film promotions.

Before winning hearts with his looks and acting, Ajith worked in the garment export business, fulfilling his father’s wish for him to have a white-collar job.