- il y a 4 mois
Acclaimed actor Ajith Kumar sits down with film critic and journalist Anupama Chopra at the Dubai Autodrome for an intimate conversation on The Hollywood Reporter India. The Padma Bhushan awardee opens up about his parallel passion for motorsports, revealing how racing helps him appreciate life's fragility and serves as a form of meditation. Ajith shares his journey from accidental actor to international racing driver, discussing his participation in the 24H Dubai endurance race with his team Ajith Kumar Racing.
The conversation explores deeper themes of humility, comfort zones, and the importance of staying grounded despite decades of stardom. Anupama and Ajith discuss his minimalist approach to life, his conscious decision to avoid entourages, and his philosophy of approaching every film and race as if it were his first. The actor also shares insights about Indian motorsport, highlighting drivers like Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel, Armaan Ebrahim and Sai Sanjay, while expressing hope for the sport's future in India alongside his admiration for racing legends Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen.
The conversation explores deeper themes of humility, comfort zones, and the importance of staying grounded despite decades of stardom. Anupama and Ajith discuss his minimalist approach to life, his conscious decision to avoid entourages, and his philosophy of approaching every film and race as if it were his first. The actor also shares insights about Indian motorsport, highlighting drivers like Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel, Armaan Ebrahim and Sai Sanjay, while expressing hope for the sport's future in India alongside his admiration for racing legends Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen.
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TVTranscription
00:00Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
00:30Success is like a wild house. Anybody can hop on to it. But if you cannot tame it, it will throw you off, waiting for the next one to hop on.
00:42I'm extremely grateful to Shalmini. All this could not have been possible without her support.
00:52The only thing with motorsports is there are no retakes.
01:00Welcome to the Hollywood Reporter India.
01:10I'm thrilled to be sitting here at the Dubai Auto Room in front of these stunning cars, which feel to me like works of art.
01:19And since you've always said that you are not a fan of suffixes and labels, I'm simply going to call you Ajit.
01:28Please do. And that's fine.
01:30And thank you Anu Komarji for coming on to the show and for taking the time to be here. Really appreciate it.
01:37Okay, so you cannot call me Anu Komarji if I'm calling you Ajit.
01:42Agreed. I call you Anu Komarji.
01:44Okay. So I have to tell you that I'm not really well versed with motorsports.
01:51My knowledge of motorsports comes from the movies, like most of my knowledge about life.
01:59Of course, from Asif Kapadia's Senna documentary, which was stunning, but also more recently from F1.
02:06And I want to ask you about something that we saw in F1 right at the end.
02:14So Brad Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, wins the biggest race of his life.
02:18There is euphoria everywhere.
02:20But he walks away.
02:22He leaves to go participate in the Baha 1000, where they do not know who he is.
02:29They ask him, what's your name?
02:30And one of the characters says that we don't pay a lot.
02:35So he says, it's not about the money.
02:38And another character says, then what is it about?
02:41So I want to start with that.
02:43Ajit, what is racing about for you?
02:47Pushing your limits to appreciate life more.
02:50And I'd like to elaborate on that.
02:53In a racing car, you're pushing your limits, the limits of the car, pushing your own limits.
03:03And then, you know, where even a small mistake can either maim you or, you know, you could pay for it with your life.
03:11So I guess all the people, not just people involved in motorsports, adventure sports, you know, I think we appreciate the life a lot more.
03:21Because I'm sure every race car driver, you know, the sport looks very glamorous and, you know, we're looked up as gladiators.
03:30There is a lot of fear, anxiety, you know, insecurities when you get into a car.
03:37But then over the weekend, after a few practice sessions, qualifying, the race day, and then you have some good days, some bad days.
03:46But at the end of it all, you come out and that feeling of being alive is probably what motivates me.
03:52So, like I told you, I appreciate life a lot more because anything can happen, you know, and life is very fragile.
04:01It's extremely fragile.
04:04So, I guess, and it's a form of meditation, you know, in a way because you don't have the luxury of thinking of anything else.
04:10You're so focused.
04:11Like in a race car, you know, you're paying attention to the noise your car engine is making.
04:17You're watching out for it, you're watching out for all the data on your car, you're reporting it back to your race engineer who in turn is also updating you as to where you are placed and what's the deficit, how much of a lead you have from the car behind you.
04:33And there's so much going on.
04:35And then as a racing driver, a practice session is different, you know, you're practicing.
04:41Sometimes you have practice where you're probably the only car, you and your teammate are testing your car.
04:45Then over a race weekend, your practice sessions, you have all the other competitors.
04:51But on a race day, I mean, everything changes.
04:53You're competing with one another, another dicing for position.
04:57So, all your attention is on your markers, like your braking points, your apex where you need to, I mean, your turn and your exit points.
05:08There's so much happening and at the same time, you want to ensure that you drive in a responsible manner where you don't hurt yourself or you're not responsible for, you know, a crash that would cost another driver his race.
05:21So, there's so much more going on and it's a, it's a, it's a beautiful sport, a lot of, it's a, it's a team sport.
05:28It's, it's wonderful.
05:29So, for me, it's like, it's like therapy, you know, it's, it's a kind of therapy to, to get out of your comfort zone, which I feel is very important in life.
05:43You know, every time, you know, there comes a time in everyone's life, you, you get into that comfort zone and before you realize it, it's too late.
05:51You know, so I think we have to be conscious that we need to get out of our comfort zone, you know, as often as you can.
06:02You know, why do you think, Ajeev, this is important.
06:07I've seen you all morning while we did the photo shoot, right?
06:12There is no entourage.
06:14I don't even think there's one person here who's given you a cup of water, okay, or a glass of water.
06:21There's, you were pulling your own bag in with your clothes.
06:25You changed in a tiny room.
06:29Is this what being out of your comfort zone teaches you to be?
06:34Because you're a superstar.
06:35I've never seen an actor as un, sort of, accompanied as you are right now.
06:44But is this not what everybody does?
06:47I mean, doing their own things, doing their own laundry, doing, I mean, I come from a very middle class family.
06:51But Ajeev, you've been a massive actor for decades.
06:55I will come, it's been 33 years, but let me come, I mean, let me elaborate on that.
07:00I come from a middle class family, wonderful parents, you know, who were way ahead of their times.
07:07And, you know, so I guess we were all, we were brought up to do our own things, you know.
07:16We, I have two siblings, an older brother and the younger brother.
07:21We were, we were taught cooking as, I probably, I was probably seven, eight years old when I remember my, I have memories of me being in the kitchen.
07:31And, but, but like you say, it's not what everybody does, you know.
07:36But, but yes, when you become, when you come into public life, probably it's because of the commitments, you know.
07:42You have shoots, you have, or if you're a cricketer, you have practice sessions, test sessions.
07:47You have to devote time to the media, you know, then, then you're a brand ambassador.
07:51So, then you need to fulfill your obligations, commitments.
07:56So, I guess it's, it's probably to save time for that individual that you finally end up with an entourage for people to help you out day to day, which I think is not wrong at all.
08:08But then, like I said, the reason I choose to stay away from all that is it, sometimes it can spoil you.
08:16So, initially you have people who help you with your luggage or everything else.
08:22And then, over a period of time, you start to expect that from everybody around you.
08:27And it has happened to me and I've been kind of ashamed of it, like, you know, you, you, so, yeah, probably that's the reason I now live in Dubai.
08:37I'm away from all the, I'm here primarily to, because it, for the sport, for motorsport, you have a lot of circuits here.
08:46So, in a way, it is helping me, because, so, I'm having to do everything myself, you know, and, and I'm loving it, you know, I'm loving it, going back to my childhood and, and, and thinking of all the things that we were taught as, as a, as a kid.
09:08And, and, and it's, it's, it's, it is coming to use now.
09:10So, I'm enjoying it and, but I, I, I don't see any harm, you know, and people having help.
09:18Like I said, it saves them time.
09:20So, yeah, but like you said, you can also get very spoiled.
09:27You're clearly not spoiled at all.
09:29Is this, Ajit, is this also what sports does for you?
09:32No, but believe me, if you had, sorry, don't interrupt, but if you had probably met me 20 years ago, you would have probably hated me.
09:37It wasn't that I was spoiled.
09:38I had probably had an entourage of people.
09:40And then, you know, it gets difficult.
09:45It makes life, the more the people around you, I mean, and the, the, like you call, you know, like you have a lot of things to deal with.
09:54So, so I, I felt I was wasting a lot of time trying to sort out the day-to-day, you know, squabbles between them and, and, you know, trying to, so, you know, you, you, you, you kind of seek help wanting people to help you.
10:10But then you, you later start to realize that you want people to look after you, but then over a period of time, you're doing that.
10:18So, there's too much of emotional baggage to, to carry.
10:23So, I felt it would be better to, to be as independent as I can be.
10:30I mean, there are times when it is impossible.
10:32You need help.
10:33Of course.
10:33There are times that you can do away with it.
10:36You, you can, you can, you can manage by yourself.
10:39Yeah.
10:40So, so, so, yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm happy.
10:43I'm, I'm, I'm in a happy space.
10:44I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm glad I took the decisions that I had, the pursuing motorsports, being away from, you know, all that attention.
10:57I'm grateful for all the love I receive.
10:59I'm grateful for, for, for the love, for all the motivation that I get from fans, from, from the movie-going audiences.
11:06But, I, I, you know, it can be like a drug sometimes, you know, so.
11:14Fame is a drug.
11:15It can, it can.
11:16So, I'm very conscious because of my past experiences, very conscious that I don't, I don't, I don't take it to a person.
11:26And let that be, you know, keep that, like I have a glass ceiling, you know.
11:32So, yeah, I enjoy that, but I don't want to touch it, you know.
11:35I don't want to be influenced by it.
11:38And like I said, I have moved to Dubai primarily to pursue my motorsports endeavors, right.
11:45Because they have a lot of circuits here.
11:48There's a lot happening with motorsports here.
11:50You have the Dubai Autodrome.
11:52You have the Bahrain circuit close by, the Qatar circuit and Abu Dhabi.
11:56So, it gives me the opportunity to practice.
12:00There are a few teams based here where I can hire the cars, you know, and, and practice as often as I can.
12:10So, so, I'm happy to be here.
12:12Do these two careers sort of inform each other in the sense that is there a learning from one that you take to another and vice versa?
12:23They complement each other.
12:24See, the, the only thing with motorsports is there are no retakes.
12:31Like in, in acting, I mean, or be it an interview, interview, I fumble on my lines.
12:35I mean, we can always go in for another tape or, you know, post-production, editing.
12:40You, you can, you can, you can correct.
12:42You can fix it.
12:43You can fix it.
12:44Yeah.
12:45Here you, there's no fixing.
12:46Nah, it's, no retakes, it's, that's a, you know, so, so, and again, both the professions with firm, the firm industry, I mean, not just from an actor's perspective, from, I mean, right from the corruption assistant to, to the actors, it's, it's, you know, I mean, it's a very physically, emotionally demanding job.
13:07And, uh, the same with motorsports, it looks glamorous, right?
13:13Both these, uh, fields, I mean, the, the people come to a theater and today, I mean, look at the theaters, they have, uh, I mean, um, the kind of, uh, facilities, uh, given to the audiences, you know, you can have your refreshments as you're watching the movie and so many other things.
13:31High luxury, yeah.
13:32High luxury and, uh, so, but you, you never know what the people go through.
13:37High luxury, uh, uh, during the making of the firm, right?
13:40I mean, there are, there are, I mean, difficult situations, weather, dealing with, uh, crowd and so, so many things, the same with, uh, motorsports, but, but luckily, I mean, uh, with firms, you have, you have your, whatever they're making videos that come out, you know, uh, so people know, but, but motorsports until, uh, uh, F1, uh, the, the drive to survive program happening.
14:07Right.
14:07People were under the impression that motorsports is all glamour and, you know, it's all these sexy cars.
14:11But I'm glad, I mean, I think, well, Liberty Media have done a great job in reviving the sport by, by having, uh, that web series on television.
14:21So now, there, there is a lot of awareness in regard to motorsports as well, so, but they, they're pretty much similar, pretty much, like, uh, nobody wants to make a bad film.
14:33Same, I mean, so every, every driver on the circuit wants to win the race, you know, nobody's there to come second, third, fourth.
14:39But then, uh, you know, uh, that it's, it's, it's brutal and the time that I work extremely hard, not me, all, all the actors, producers, directors, we work extremely hard to make a good film.
14:51Uh, and, uh, some films go on to become blockbusters and some films don't even manage to do, uh, you know, survive, uh, even two or three shows.
15:06Yeah, yeah.
15:07And that can be brutal. The same, you, you, you practice so much, you work so hard, you do so well in practice, you do very well in qualifying, and then sometimes your race can end before the first corner.
15:19So, uh, very similar, very similar. The only difference, like I told you, was no retakes in motorsports.
15:25You know, you've been asked about the dangers of the sport, right? And, and there is obvious physical danger, there is, and you've been very zen-like about it.
15:35That, look, I got hurt when I made movies. I've had to have surgeries. I didn't quit acting. So, crashes are a part of this. You're testing the limits of the car. You're testing your own limits.
15:45There are going to be crashes, but I'm not going to stop racing. My question is, once you've had that crash, and you have had crashes, what do you tell yourself to get back in that car again?
15:56See, the first thing, when I have a crash, I, I, I try to understand if, you know, if I have been hurt, you know, that's, that's my first.
16:10That's your immediate response.
16:11So, my immediate response is, we're not thinking of the car. We're not thinking. It's first thing, how bad am I hurt? Or how bad is the car? Can I restart?
16:19In fact, there is a video of mine on, on where my car flipped in Valencia during the Southern European Cup, and my car rolled multiple times.
16:28And, I shared that video with a lot of my friends, and I didn't realize that at the end of the video, I mean, I was trying to start the car, to, so, so, so, so, so, so the first thing is, you, like I said, you want to ensure that you're okay, the car's okay, and the next thing you want to, because your adrenaline is pumping, I mean, it's really high.
16:48And, it's like, after that, your next daughter, oh my god, I, I don't want to have a DNF, I don't want to have a, you want to finish the race.
16:57So, you, you try to ensure, you try to, you want to be back on the, finish the race.
17:03That, that, that is what goes through my mind. I don't know how it is for the other drivers.
17:07And then, yeah, you're worried for your family, like it's like, you know, it's not fair on our part to be putting our family through so much of stress.
17:15But, but having said all this, let me, let me remind everybody that there are more people dying on the roads, world over, than in a racing car.
17:27Because the cars are designed primarily keeping the driver's safety in mind.
17:32So, you know, so, it's very rare that, you know, you have a fatality on the track, or, you know, bad injuries that can, you know, put an end to your racing career.
17:47And you're working with hardcore professions, you know, engineers, and, and there's so much that goes into the sport that, and, and then you have a medical center at the circuit.
17:59You have the best brain and neurosurgeons, you know, on, on the circuit.
18:03The, the, the, the, the, the medical team is there to assist you, the marshals are there to protect you, to ensure that, you know, the, the car is cordoned off, and the other drivers are warned about the, the, the, the track, or a vehicle being on the track.
18:29No one's allowed to trust the driver, but the medical team.
18:33So, so, so, they are there, they extricate you from the car, and in a very safe manner, they first take you to the medical center, in the circuit, they assess you, run through the, the, the, whatever checkups that need.
18:46And depending on the kind of injury, then, if it requires hospitalization, you, you're, you're, so you're, you're being looked after.
18:53Right.
18:54You understand?
18:55So, so, so, so it's, it is not as bad as people think, and, and when you have a crash, unfortunately for me, I've had some terrible crashes.
19:06But so are the other drivers, but probably because I'm, I'm an actor, or, you know, they say Ajit crashes, another crash, so people think I'm always crashing.
19:14But after, none of these crashes, did you ever feel, like, I'm done, no, you've always managed to get back in the car, or do you have to talk yourself into it?
19:26Again, I'm, I'm, I'm blessed that so far, my injuries have not, hasn't been that bad that I have, I've had to miss a practice session or a ways, and so with my film industry, I have undergone 29 surgeries.
19:39Yeah.
19:40Right, so I'm, I'm blessed that I've had some very good surgeons and doctors looking after me, who put me back in shape, and, and I'm grateful to the Almighty, because not many people are so lucky.
19:58But, and like I say, anything can happen. And I'm a hardcore optimist, I've been a hardcore optimist for all my life. And there are two ways you can go about living your life, you know, you can, you can always complain, crib, or you can just, you know, take it, learn lessons from it, and, and, and move on, like, like a warrior, you know, you move on.
20:25And, and, and, and every warrior goes to battlefield, knowing that he will not come back home, so, but that doesn't stop him, right, he, he's fulfilling his duties, and that's the way I'd like to go about it, just, just be optimistic about it, believe, believe in the universe, believe that everything happening is happening for a reason, and the reason can only be good.
20:46Correct.
20:46As long as you, you are not trying to disrupt another person's life.
20:51Yeah. Your intent is good.
20:54Yeah, your intent is good, and you wish well for everybody. And there's something I'd like to tell you, I mean, even when I message my friends on WhatsApp or whatever, I, I make it a point to end the message with, I wish you and your loved ones beautiful life.
21:09I mean, at the end of the day, that is all, that is what we all want. We want our loved ones to have a good life. Maybe that is why, you know, people who indulge in crime or whatever it is, if you look, if you really go, go to the roots, why, why is he doing it?
21:27You know, he wants a good life. Sometimes they have the talent, but they don't get the opportunities. So, so probably it's a frustration. So I always pray, I pray to God saying, please give everybody what they want.
21:42There are two reasons for it. One is you fulfill your wishes of giving your family a good life, you know, a comfortable life. And then when you have access to wealth and whatever that you have looked for, when you are economically in a sound place, then you will understand what money can buy and what money cannot buy.
22:05Right. And then you will also understand if you are a giver or a taker. Because I believe there are two kinds of people who are givers and takers. So I know a lot of people say, oh, so and so indulgent in charity. Yeah, if I had money, I would do the same.
22:20But believe me, when I say this, they probably, you know, they think that if they had money, they would do. But when, when money comes to your hand, you know, when, when you have access, that's when you realize who you really are, then it's like, no, I don't want to give it.
22:36Why should I, you know, work very hard for it. So, so I pray to God that he fulfills everybody's wishes, you know, and they, otherwise, you know, sometimes, you know, some people at the end of their life, they, they complain about their karma or fate, and they feel very bitter towards the end of their life.
22:55Thinking that if they had wealth, if they had money, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's totally different. Yeah, you know, it can make your monster. Yeah, it's so many things. So it's like a wild horse. Success is like a wild horse. Anybody can hop on to it. But if you cannot tame it, it will throw you off, waiting for the next one to hop on. So I think in bad times, we're all, we're all very, I mean,
23:25careful with, with the decisions that we make. It is during good times that we need to be even more careful. Because that's when we make all the mistakes that then when the bad time comes, you know, they all multiply and, you know, hit us hard.
23:38Absolutely. But did the sports help to construct this character of Ajit, this, this person who can see fame for what it is and can be detached? Has sports helped you to be this person?
23:52Very much. Very much. Very much. I'm, I'm, Shani and myself for making sure that I have a daughter who's 17. I have a son. He's going to turn 11. They're very much into sports. They were in badminton. My son plays football. My daughter loves badminton music.
24:08My daughter's a very good vocalist. She plays the piano. My son plays the piano, the guitar. He's a good vocalist too. So, I mean, yes, education, schooling, I mean, all that is fine. But I think sports and music, they help you develop your personality even more.
24:27You know, she posted this lovely reel on Instagram where your son is sprinting. He's in a school race and he's way ahead of everybody else. And she, she captioned it like father, like son.
24:42I'm, I'm extremely grateful, you know, to Shani. I don't think I'm, I'm an easy person to live with, you know, in the sense like beat my sport, beat my films, you know, I, I like to perform my sons myself.
25:02I know I put her through a lot of hard times, but never has she ever stopped me from, you know, she, she, she's been very supportive.
25:12All she tells me is, Ajit, as long as you know what you're doing, as long as you're following a protocol, like we'll come to that later.
25:19And like, and she says, just, just take care of yourself, you know. And she knows, I have, even, even from the time we were seeing each other,
25:29and I got married and within two years of being married to her, I got back to racing. I participated in the Formula 3 British Formula 3 and then the European Formula 2 season.
25:42So she has always been very supportive. In fact, till the kids came, like she would, she would be with me, visiting me, you know, for my races, being there.
25:51All this could not have been possible without her support, honestly.
26:00So tell me, what does quality family time look like? Like when you're in Chennai, what do you all do together to make up for these absences?
26:12I'm, I'm confined to my home most of the time. Because…
26:16Essentially, you're too famous to go out.
26:18It's too, it's very difficult. I mean, that is one thing, you know, like fame is like a double-edged sword.
26:23Yeah.
26:24It gives you so much. But it also takes away a lot from you. Like, you know, I'm grateful to my fans for all the love that they give me.
26:32But it is also because of the same fans that I hardly get to be out with my family. And not me, I talk, I don't know if I have the right to speak on behalf of the other actors in the world, not just Indian cinema, the world cinema.
26:46I think we're all very grateful for all the love that we receive from the media, from the public, from lovers, neutrals, haters, all that.
26:56But it also deprives us of a lot of other things. Yeah, in terms of comfort, good lifestyle, yes, it gives you a lot. But the things that really matter to you, it takes away all that from you.
27:09Like, I can't go to my son's school, drop my son. I can, I've tried doing that. I do it for a day. I do it for the second day. By the third day, people know that I would be visiting the school at this particular time.
27:22And then by the time, there have been times that I have been asked to leave in a very polite way.
27:29Because you're creating too much composure. Yeah, exactly. And unfortunately, sometimes people think that we are orchestrating this, which is not the truth.
27:40I don't think any of us do it orchestrated. It's just that they love us so much that they, when they see you in person, in flesh and blood, they want to see you, take a picture with you, touch you.
27:52So that's the flip side of fame. And I can't drive in India. Because every time I try to take my family out, and I try to drive the car, you know, and now some firms are banned, I mean, in the country.
28:10So obviously, you notice, and then before you realize it, there are 50, 60 motorcycles, you know, with not two people on it, four, three or four of them sitting on it, trying to get a picture of yours.
28:28And they put their life at risk, they're putting the other motorist's life at risk. And there have been times when they have bumped into my car, they have gone on to hit a stationary vehicle, hurt themselves, all this has happened.
28:43And sometimes, some of them have the audacity of parking their vehicle in front of my car, wanting me to either roll down the window for a picture, or get out of the car to take a picture, not realizing that there are other people, maybe someone's getting to a hospital, or dropping their loved ones at school, or, you know, having a business meeting, or having to be in their office on time, where they could lose their job, nothing.
29:13It's just that, no, get down. And then they expect you to roll down the window. Now, yes, he claims to be a fan. But how do I know? Maybe it's somebody who wants to hurt you. I mean, here, I have scars on my hand, I've been slashed by a blade.
29:27You know, see, the media is also divided. Like, you know, you have a lot of fans who want to touch you. So it happened in 2005, it happens very often, you know, you see the scars.
29:41Yeah. So you have a lot of people stretching their arms out. So you shake hands. And then I get into the car and I'm bleeding. And then he realized you've been cut. And it, oh, I don't know if I should say this, but I think people need to know.
29:57It was during a shoot, outdoor shoot, and we were staying at this hotel, and there were crowd gathering every day. And the, the owner of the hotel made a request saying that Ajit, we'd like you to, you know, every time you either on your way to the shoot, or when you come back, would you spare some time?
30:19We find it difficult to manage the crowd. Can you wave to them, take a few pictures, at least with a few of them, so that we can then politely disperse them, which I agreed to and it happened.
30:29It happened. And there was one particular day, and we had help from the hotel staff and my staff were there helping. And then similarly, there were a lot of people stretching the arms out for me to shake hands with and touch them.
30:41And then before I realized it, there was a lot of commotion. And one of the security guys had grabbed the boy who was barely in his 18 or 19. He had this, you know, this blade that the, the Babas use, Astura, they call him.
30:55So he'd broken a blade into half and had it in between his hand and somebody noticed and grabbed him by the hand. And that guy was not in the senses. I didn't, we didn't know if he was drunk or what. He was just, he was just like, you know, like hysteria.
31:08So, so, so, I mean, different people show love in different ways. You, you really don't know what to expect. So, so for fans to stop your car, expect you to roll your window down, take a picture.
31:20Agreed, he, he's a fan. But how do I know? How do we know? So these are things that are never reported.
31:26So you're mostly at home then?
31:28I'm so confined. So coming to the point that we hardly, so either it's at friends places or hotels that have, that, you know, where we go very often, where they, they, they, the security does not let anybody and everybody like, you know, have access to us.
31:47Yes.
31:48So, so, so, so, so, so, and, and then I'm traveling most of the time. So, so whatever little time, I have my, I've had my son and daughter cry saying that, Papa, why can't you be like the other fathers and coming to school, dropping us off.
32:02It, it, it, it gets.
32:06It's hard. Yep. This hard.
32:09And then, there was this incident that happened. It happened in election, during one of the elections. I had gone to cast my vote. A lot of commotion, fans. And there were these fans who were taking pictures, not just me, but all the who and who of, you know, who come to that particular book to cast their votes, taking pictures. And it so happened that I happened to grab the phone from that boy. And that video went very wild.
32:35I got shafted by a lot of them saying, oh, I just arrogant, you know, with all kinds of headlines saying that. But if one of them from, you know, from the media had to just span the camera and let people see why, what is it that really pissed me off.
32:48There were these boards all over that's very clearly said, you know, photography prohibited and violators would be fined. But then what happened was that was that, that's, that people never got to see that.
33:02They only, so initially when I got to the boat, I was politely trying to tell people, please, you know, it's an election boat, you know, please, you know, they wouldn't listen. And then this happened. So I was made to look like the bad guy. And then the boy who had violated the law was made to look like the victim.
33:19So what happens then is, then he feels he's entitled because you have certain section of media standing up for him. So then he feels that he's entitled to do whatever he wants. So having said this, I think moral code of conduct in a public place applies to everybody.
33:38Exactly.
33:39To the media also. Celebrities or sports personalities, to everybody. I just hope that theatres, you know, the first day, first show, let's say the first couple of days, fans, you know, I see, today I have a good life. Thanks to the fan. We love all that love and all that attention we get. But I think there has to be some kind of a,
34:06it needs to be, what should I say, monitored. You know, the theatre owners spend so much of money in upgrading their theatres. And then you have, you know, in the name of celebration, bursting firecrackers, damaging the seats, tearing the screen asking for, okay, now it's digital. There was a time when, you know, you had the wheel and they would stop, I mean, block the screen demanding that, you know, you replay a song once more of,
34:36fight sequence one more. If the theatre people do not oblige, then they tear the screen. I mean, come on, all this needs to end. But then again, like I said, the media is also divided. One section of the media highlights all this.
34:53They highlighted saying, oh, X actor has got a bigger opening than actor Y. It's a show of strength. Then what happens, the other fans take that, oh, no, the next time we have to prove that we are one step above.
35:07Yeah, we're more passionate. So you, you are, I mean, I say it with, I hope all this is being taken in the right spirit. I'm not trying to put anybody down. But like I say, there's so much happening in Tamil Nadu today because of the stampede that happened.
35:19That individual alone is not responsible. We are all responsible for it. And I think even the media has a part to play in this. Today, I think we have become a society that's so obsessed with gathering a crowd to show your crowd. All this has to end.
35:34I mean, you have, yes, you have crowd that go for a cricket match. You don't see all this happening there. Why is it happening only in theatres? Why is it only happening with celebrities, film personalities? So what happens, it projects the whole film industry world over in a bad light.
35:52But I'm sure you agree with me. I mean, even, even Hollywood actors. We don't wish this. Yeah, of course not. We don't wish this. We want that love. I mean, that's what we work hard for. That is exactly what we work hard for.
36:04You know, time away from family, long hours on the sets, hurting us, getting hurt in the process of making a film, going through depression, going through sleepless nights. For what? For the love of the people. But there are ways you can express your love.
36:19Don't endanger people. Yeah. And I feel the media should not encourage all this first day, first show, you know, you know, and, and, and, and, and sometimes I'm sorry to say this.
36:29Sometimes a few members of the media, the way they behave at an election, boo. You know, you're casting your vote, you're there with the cameras and, and, and, but, but everyone is scared of them.
36:44So the problem here is, I think, it is a collective failure. It is not just that one individual. It is a collective failure. We are all responsible, including my own self. I think we have to stop this obsession with showing our cloud.
37:03You know, by gathering a crowd. And with the country of 1.4 billion people, gathering a crowd is a no brainer.
37:10Yes. Yeah. It's not rocket science. It is not. I mean, so, so I think, I think laws are there. Like I said, I, I, I, I believe in democracy.
37:20I believe in the judiciary. I believe so. I'm, and, and let them do their job. Like for example, everyone's trying to run the country today. Right? And from the time I was a child, all we hear about is rights, rights, rights. Why don't we start talking about duties?
37:41I know I'm deviating from the question of yours, but I'm, I'm, I'm, probably if those questions are not asked, probably I'd never have to, but I say all this in very good spirit.
37:50Of course. We all collectively need to contribute for the society, for the country, for, for the world to be a better place. We talk about political correctness. We talk about social values, social responsibilities.
38:05responsibilities. I'm asking your question for once. Having said all this, is the world a better place today?
38:12No. It's worse.
38:14So I think we need to go back to the basics. And when I say we need to go back to the basics and fulfill your responsibility, I mean, your obligations towards, be a good citizen. Go to work.
38:25You're, you're a student. Study hard. Cinema is entertainment for you. Keep it, let it be entertainment. Let us do our job. Governance.
38:34Governance. The leaders, the parties have been elected by the people, by us. Let them do their job.
38:44Everyone's trying to run the country. You have opposition parties to do their job, to ask questions when a policy has been implemented or when, when, when, when, when, you know.
38:56There is a process. Believe in it. And then they have a term, five years. Let them complete. Now, within a month of assuming power, you're like, you know, questions asked.
39:06The media on one side is asking questions. And you have all these self-anointed moral caretakers of the world. I mean, where are we heading?
39:16I know. Now, I'm sorry. I don't want to come across as a very self-righteous person. I have my flaws. I'm sure if you go, ah, Shalini or my, my close friend, I have my flaws.
39:24So, what is it that I'm trying to do? I'm trying to be a better person than I was yesterday. Now, that does not absolve me or I may, I'm not saying I may not commit a bad judgment of error in the future.
39:34But I'm conscious of the fact that my, my actions do not disrupt another person's life. I'm, I'm trying to be conscious. I'm, subconsciously, I don't know. I may have hurt people.
39:48But I think, I think it's time that, you know, when certain sections, again, when I say certain sections, I mean, they also, you know, follow this moral code of conduct.
40:00Recognize it. And, and, and discourage all these kinds of activities, like, you know, bursting firecrackers in theatres and, you know, all that, all that needs to stop.
40:10Yeah. All that needs to stop. And then pitching one actor's fans against the other actor. Oh, this ex-actor is number one. You, you are fueling it.
40:19Yeah. So, every fan likes to believe that his favourite actor or actress or sports personality is, is number one. Yeah.
40:28Now, when you pitch one against the other, you are fueling it. So, even you have a part to play. You cannot absolve yourself from all this and say, oh, we have nothing to do with it.
40:36Correct. You cannot do that. You also have a part to play. The people also cannot, I mean, they, yes, love, but you also need to, now, now, there are places that I would not go.
40:48If I know that, you know, I would not take my family to a place where I feel like, you know, things get out of control.
40:55Yeah. So, you also have to be very conscious about a lot of things around you. Yeah.
41:01And what is the voting right in our country? What is the age for, to, to cast your vote? 18, right? Yeah.
41:08So, which means that at the age of 18, you are mature enough to, to, to choose your leadership. Yeah.
41:14So, then why is all this, you know, why is it that we have to spoon feed them or, you know, you have, maybe you are forced to have these statutory warnings?
41:24Yeah. I mean, at 18, so why do we need to, so I am saying it is the survival of the fittest. You are 18, you have been given the right to choose your leadership, choose your political party.
41:38Then why is it that for all the other things, they need to be treated like babies? So, I think if you are 18, you are responsible for your own life.
41:45And I, I think the, the primary responsibility of a government, world over, is to govern the country.
41:58Right? Yeah.
41:59We are expecting them to give us freebies. Right.
42:02Where, where is the money in the treasury? No.
42:05How many, I mean, it is so difficult. I, I, I don't envy people in politics at all. I, I, in fact, I, I feel it is a very tough job.
42:11It is. It is a very tough job. Yeah.
42:14Yeah.
42:15So, it is so easy to, you know, I don't think any of the politicians anywhere in the world, any government has got a magic wand.
42:22Yeah.
42:23But I think we are also as people expecting too much from them.
42:25Yeah. You have to meet them half way.
42:27I mean, some, I am, I am saying there needs to be some kind of a thing to say, okay, you get here, or I get here, then I have the right to expect this from the government.
42:36It's, you cannot be a taker all the time, give, give, give, give, you know, you, you can't, you can't do that.
42:43Yeah.
42:44Where is the money in the treasury? So, I'm, I'm saying, I, I, I don't know, I can be shafted off of this interview, but it's, it's time that we all collectively sit down and, and, and, and, and, you know.
42:57Introspect.
42:58Introspect.
42:59Introspect and, and play your part, do your part. Like a tsunami. It starts off as a small ripple somewhere mid-ocean. And then by the time it reaches the land, it's like a huge. Similarly, we start now, each one, focus on your, your career, your, your whatever, you know, look, ensure that your actions develop the quality of life of people around you.
43:24They in turn would do the same. And then it'll start off as a ripple and maybe three generations from now, the world will be a better place.
43:34We have to believe that.
43:36No, the world, I'm so, so I'm saying, let people do their job. Let the people in the, let the government do their job. You as a citizen do your job. No. I think, I think we need to go back to the basics. We need to go back to the basics.
43:50No, I, I hear you. But I have to ask you something that I'm very curious about. I believe that you only sleep four hours a night.
44:00Sometimes less. This, last night I slept for just two hours.
44:04Okay. How are you such a high functioning individual, only two hours of sleep?
44:10I don't know. I ask myself this question every day. I ask myself this question, but there's so much that I need to think of, I mean, my career, putting a project together, racing and racing is not a, it's a very expensive sport.
44:24I haven't had a sponsor. I mean, I mean, absolutely no, there are sponsors coming forward, but they want to sign me as a brand ambassador and don't want to have anything to do with racing that I could have done 10 years ago.
44:41But I'm, I'm, I'm doing, I'm seeking sponsorship for a purpose.
44:45Yeah.
44:46I'm not seeking sponsorship to enhance my wealth, my personal wealth. I'm trying to put it back into a sport, which I see has a lot of potential.
44:55Yeah.
44:56Yes, I, I, I love racing. I'm doing it because I love the sport, but I know that this sport has got a lot of potential for drivers, for the brands, for, you know, the manufacturers.
45:09There's so much that can happen. I'm knocking on every door that I can for, for sponsorship. So that's one part of me, you know, there's so many other things that I'm thinking of.
45:21So, and I'm, but I'm sure everything will fall into place one day. I'm sure.
45:25It will, because you're fully functional on two hours of sleep.
45:28Thank you. Thank you. I'm grateful to the universe. I'm grateful to God.
45:31And that too, without any makeup. It's amazing.
45:36I, I, I'm, I don't wear makeup on my films. I don't, so.
45:41You look incredible. Anyway, I have just a last few questions.
45:45One is that you have said that now the way you're going to do the racing is that October to March, which is racing season, you're not going to shoot any films.
45:56And then the other months you're going to be an actor. Does that mean that you will be listening to scripts while you're racing or all movie work is only in those months?
46:06No, it's happening. It's happening. I may, I may start filming in a couple of months.
46:12Oh. And, and.
46:14So AK-64 might. It may, probably by Jan, we should have an announcement. So.
46:20Okay. That's happening. So this coming year, I may, I may film and race together. So.
46:27Together. So. Yeah. So, so I'm, I'm working on, I'm working on both.
46:33And, and again, like I'm looking forward to the racing season as well, because Naren Karthik and India's first F1 drivers on board.
46:38Yeah. And we're doing the Asian Le Mans series. So we have races in Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, looking forward to it.
46:46And there are two series, two championships I'm taking part in. One is the Asian Le Mans.
46:51And the other one is the Craven take 24 hour endurance series. So we're looking at six race weekends with the, you know, double headers, like two races per weekend.
46:59So that's 12 races beginning first week of December until end of March or Feb, sorry, end of Feb.
47:07So there's a lot happening on that side. We have some testing coming up again in Barcelona and at Paul Ricard in France.
47:15Arithya Patel is on board. And I must mention, like, you know, you mentioned about the national flag.
47:24Yes. Yes. To see you with the national flag is such a, such a moment of pride.
47:30But I would like to tell the audience, drivers from India have done it before.
47:34Yes. It's just that it did not get noticed. Nareen Karthikeyan, Karun Chando, Jahan Darwala, Khus Maini, Arjun Maini.
47:44There's so many other drivers who are representing India in the international, you know, races.
47:52And all of these drivers that I mentioned have got onto the podium. They've, they've very proudly displayed the Indian flag.
47:59They've had the national anthem play during the podium celebration. But unfortunately, it never got noticed.
48:06So if you ask me what is it that I'm trying to achieve here, I'm trying to primarily fulfill my dream of, you know, participating in as many modes of sport races as possible.
48:18And with the hope that somewhere, you know, people start following the sport and not just when I'm racing.
48:25When all of them, we have another couple of drivers, like Sai Sanjay racing in the World Endurance Challenge, you know, in the World Endurance Racing.
48:38We have another boy, Divi, who's racing the Formula 200 GB Formula 3C. So there are so many other drivers. Please follow them. Please, please follow them.
48:48I mean, they're doing so much, so much for the sport.
48:51Well, I have a suggestion. We could just get Apple to remake F1 in India with you as the Brad Pitt character. And you know, we'll get like Naslin or Pradeep Ranganathan or somebody to be the younger racer. There you go.
49:06See, as long as all these things happen. I've even cast it for you. No, as long as it happens organically and no, I'm okay to it. I'm okay.
49:15In any which way that, you know, we can popularize the sport, like get people to follow the sport. I'll be happy. Not that I'm against cricket. I love cricket. I play cricket.
49:25In fact, I think something like in Brazil, like soccer, football is very, very popular. And Formula One, I think pretty much the same conditions in soccer.
49:40Until Emerson Fittipaldi came onto the scene, went on to become a Formula One World Champion and then Nelson Piquet and then Ayrton Serra.
49:48And now Formula One is on par with football. So I'm not trying to put any sport down. I'm saying I hope and pray that someday motorsports, I'm not wishing that it'd be more popular than cricket.
50:04I hope it's as popular as cricket. And sponsors also come forward to support the sport in any which way possible. I'd be a very happy person if that happens.
50:17Do you still get as excited though when you step on a film set? Of course, of course. I mean, your heart is still…
50:23I'm an accidental actor. Again, accidental actor. I worked with an automobile manufacturing company, a motorcycle manufacturing company as an apprentice.
50:34Then worked as a merchandise in a garment export company. And then films happened. I ask myself the same question every day, you know, like, how did I become an actor?
50:46It was never on my radar.
50:4933 years later, you still…
50:50I still ask myself that question.
50:52And you're a Padma Bhushan now.
50:53I'm, again, grateful. I'm grateful. So, when I, in hindsight, when I look at that, like, these are things that I never… it was never on my radar. And it just happened, you know. So, I don't know what is it.
51:05But, yes, I put my heart and soul into everything. Be it films. You know, I… I couldn't speak the language for me. I hadn't… I have an accent in Tamil. I worked on it. And I… I… I was initially asked to change my name because they felt it was not very… it was not a very common name to have. And then I insisted that, no, I would want to have my… my name. And I would not want to have any other name. So… so… a lot of challenges.
51:23A lot of challenges. A lot of challenges. And I… I overcame everything because I followed the protocol. Now, even when it comes to racing… I'm probably working as hard as a 19 year old or a 14 year old who wants to make racing a career.
51:50So, as long as I think you… and… and so, for which you need to put the right team together. So, as long as you're doing that, I think it's… it's fine. So… and I… I've been very lucky with the directors, producers, you know, the technicians I've worked with.
52:05Or people involved in motorsports have all been… I'm learning so much from all of them. And I think there's no end to learning, you know. So, as long as you're open to, you know…
52:18advice from others, you'll learn. Just continue.
52:25You know, I have one last question. Senna is, of course, your favourite racer. We're sitting in front of the McLaren here, which was the car he raced in.
52:34So, he said, I'm not designed to come second and third. I'm designed to win. So, is Ajit Kumar also designed to win?
52:43You see, drivers like Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, they are… they are like very special. You know, they're extremely special, you know. I'm sure the very first time Senna Sarna Khan, he must have been really quick.
52:59I have never claimed to be a great racing car driver or the best racing car driver to have represented India. But I'm hard working. I'm willing to follow the protocol. I'm willing to pursue it the way it is meant to be.
53:24Right? So, I hope I get to the highest level in terms of my own abilities and I can make all of you proud. That's all I can hope for. But believe me when I say this, I'm doing things the way it is meant to be done. No shortcuts. I'm not seeking any entitlement here. No.
53:43No. And like even my next film, I approach every film like it was my first film. Let's say if I've had a blockbuster, I put it aside and I tell my directors. There are times when directors or producers approach me for my date and say, sir, who wants to do this for just 100 days? And I tell them one thing very clearly. I said, look, I know it takes about 100 to 120 days to put a film.
54:12I'm giving you 100, not giving you 100 days. I'm giving you the last 33 years of my life. I'm placing it in your hands. It's not 100 days. It's all that I have done the last 33 years. I'm placing it now.
54:34You don't have to take me to the next level. Don't set me back. And let us all grow together. This is what I tell every director, every producer, every time I start mining.
54:46So if I come with a blockbuster, I tell them, look, that's over, done, my first film, your first film, irrespective of what your earlier film, that's how I approach films and that is how I wish to approach my racing as well.
55:03Yes, we had some great races. We had some podiums, had some terrible crashes, DNFs. But no, I put everything aside. My next race is my first race. And I guess I like to live my life that way. Live every day like it's a brand new day.
55:24It's a clean slate. Yes. And keep the lessons in mind. Lessons that we learn on the way. Keep them, you know, at the back of your head and look forward to a good future.
55:39Soldier on. Soldier, gladiator, soldier, warrior, whatever you want.
55:45Well, please know that we'll all be cheering for you, including those of us who know very little about the sport. But it's so inspiring to see you do this and to take this shot.
55:56Thank you. Thank you. And I hope, I request everybody to take whatever I have said in good spirits. I'm not perfect. I have my flaws.
56:05But I hope all this is taken in good spirits. And we all sit down and more introspect. And then look forward to another day, a new day. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
56:18Hello. I'm Ajit. And you're watching me on Hollywood Reporter India.
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