Decoding Ajith Kumar's success formula at the box office

Ajith Kumar was last seen in Valimai. In an interview with IndiaToday.in, trade analyst Ramesh Bala spilled the beans about his success formula.

Ajith Kumar's Valimai is performing exceptionally well at the box office. The film has beaten Vijay's Master, Rajinikanth's Annaatthe, and recorded the highest opening in Tamil Nadu. As per reports, the film grossed Rs 36.17 crore in Tamil Nadu on Day one. Despite mixed reviews, the film is setting cash registers ringing. So, we decided to talk to trade expert, Ramesh Bala, who has cracked Ajith's success formula.

Ramesh explains that Ajith has created an image of himself and this helps his films attain success and that's the same case for Valimai. Speaking to IndiaToday.in, Ramesh said, "Ajith is mainly known for his action movies - so people expect him to do out and out action films. Of late, he has started focusing on doing films with a message like he did in the remake of Pink. Now the audiences also expect him to do films with a message or family sentiment."

He further added, "Also, the way he lives, he is known to be a generous man. He doesn't publicise it. There is an aura and a mystery about him and that he is a do-gooder. He is the only actor who has dissolved his fan clubs a decade ago. Without an official fan club, getting an opening like this [in Valimai] is commendable and unheard of."

Talking about Valimai's success, Ramesh explained, "This kind of response was expected for an Ajith Kumar movie. People have been waiting for this film for two and a half years - that is why any updates whatsoever on Valimai were trending. The audience kept asking producer Boney Kapoor for details about the film. There was a lot of hype around Valimai and the trailer [with stunts and visuals] created a lot of buzz too. So, it was expected."

Despite the film being lengthy, audiences had no issue with it. Speaking about the runtime, Ramesh remarked, "People give leverage to films of a big movie star. Especially in Ajith's case, he doesn't promote the movie or make public appearances. For Valimai , only Huma Qureshi and Kartikeya Gummakonda promoted the film. So the audiences don't mind the duration when it comes to his films. His fans are happy to see him for three hours or even for an hour. That's the kind of following he has."

On a concluding note, Ramesh opened up about what sets Ajith apart from other superstars. "Apart from selecting specific kinds of films, he tends to work with certain directors. He is one of the few actors who repeats his directors. He worked with director Siva in four films and now this is his second film with H Vinoth. This is what sets him apart from other stars."

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