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Source:
“Ungal Ajith”
March
2004
Ajith, who has proved to be a successful actor is now aiming at making a name for himself in car racing too. To reach this goal, he’s about to participate in the “Formula 3” races which are going to take place in England this year.
Last month ( on March ), Ajith gave an interview to the montly magazine “ Ungal Ajith”. Here are some extracts from this interview.
Until now, the only thing I had the opportunity to talk about with all of you has been my cinema career. But now, I also would like to share some little things about the “Formula 3” races with you […]
Even if I’ve established myself as a good actor today, I also have set personal targets, I have personal dreams to fulfill. Car racing is one of these dreams. The opportunity of becoming an
actor came later. But I have this passion for racing from my early childhood.
The desire of succeeding in racing was increasing from day to day. In 2002, I competed in the National Car Race which took place in Irunkattu Koattay and even if I didn’t win this race, I managed to achieve a good result. Little by little, I made progress and before long, I’m going to take part in the “Formula 3” races which are going to take place in England. Only 4 Indian entrants have been selected to compete in it and I’m one of of these 4 competitors. The competition is composed of 12 events in total. The first race will take place on April 14th and the last one is planned to be on October 3rd . At the moment, I’m hard training to prepare for this competition. I know I’ll succeed, I’m confident about it. Car racing is a relatively unknown sport in India. My purpose is to reverse this trend so that everybody in India appreciate this sport. Today, cricket is appreciated all around the world. But car racing has only very few fans. I want this to change, I want to prove that car racing also deserves to be world-famous and I want to introduce it to people. And for that, I intend to make use of my reputation as an actor. Within only 2 years, I’ll manage to see it that car racing become a recognized and respected sport among Indian people. It’s not just idle talk.I’ll definitely do it, I assure you. That’s
m y objective and my dream. If I am so self-assured, it’s because of my progress in car racing. Because my racing performance has considerably get improved between 2002 and 2003, so that I came 6th in the “ BMW Race “ which took place in Asia last year. That’s why I’m convinced I stand a good chance in the” Formula 3” race.
Some people ask me how I suceed in reconciling both acting and racing. I have no problem with that. And even if I I had to meet with some difficulties, I would perfecly know how to get out of them. Before acting, I was a racer . Consequently, I consider myself first as a racer. And then , I am an actor. Acting is my profession, racing is my dream. It has grown with me, since I am a child. Racing is the most important thing for me.
But it doesn’t mean I’ll retire from cinema. At the moment, I’m acting in
Janaa, Ji and Attagaasam. So I didn’t dropped cinema. I have no problem in completing the call-sheets
I have given, as agreed.Until now, not any shooting has been postphoned because of me.
So, everything is going on as planned. Same for the films, which will be released on the
prescribed dates. There’s no change in it. I’ll do my best to reconcilie my acting and
my racing careers so that none of these two careers affect the other. There’s also another
thing I’m sure of: I’ll continue to act as long as fans will want me.
The reason why I succeed in balancing both of my cinema and racing career is that I don’t
mix up the two. I don’t get comitted in any film when I have to take part in races, and
conversely , I don’t compete in any race when I’m acting in films. That’s the policy I am
following. I haven’t accept any new film for two years now. Some people may have some
difficulty in accepting this decision I have taken. But, that’s not my problem. Some people
may say I am selfish. But I don’t care about it. I only do what I consider to be good for me.
Some people may think I’m attempting to do useless things, which don’t concern me. I know what’s good and what isn’t for me. I am the only one who have to decide about it. It’s quite usual that people critizise and make fun of anyone who is trying to do something new, something they don’t know and that they consider to be “ unusual”or strange. That’s what happened at the time when Graham Bell invented telephone and when the Wright Brothers announced that the man could fly one day. But today these things are part and parcel of everyday life. I’m in this same situation today […]. I won’t give up until I achieve success. One day, I’ll be the Number One.
Right now, I am looking for sponsors to sponsor my participation in the “Formula 3” race. I am ready to accept any sponsor, no matter what its business is ( cigarette, alcohol, tyre…). I have no condition about it. My objective is to arouse an interest for racing among Indian people, they must get to know racing. That’s what I’m fighting for. Another thing: I am not ready to change my character or my behaviour for anything. I not the kind of person to lie or to pretend. I am a straight-forward person and I always speak my mind. No matter the problems I could have to meet with because of my character, I am ready to face it. As long as my family will support me, nothing can affect me. The love of my parents, of Shalini is giving me the strenght to progress more and more, day by day. I’m going my way, just like a horse with blinkers. I can get rid of anything or anyone who would have the purpose of prevent me from reaching my goal. That is and will always be my
character.
Translated
by Kavitha.
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