Ajith Kumar returns to racing days after mother’s death: ‘Back at work with a heavy heart’

3 min readHyderabadJun 5, 2026 11:19 AM IST

Ajith Kumar at the track, photographed by his racing team Thursday, days after the passing of his mother Mohini Mani. (Photo: @ajithkumarracing/ Instagram, Ajith Fan Page/ X)

Tamil actor and professional racer Ajith Kumar returned to the track on June 5, six days after the death of his mother Mohini Mani, who passed away on May 30 at a private hospital in Chennai due to age-related health issues.

The official Ajith Kumar Racing Instagram page posted photographs of the actor at the track, with the caption: “Back at work with a heavy heart but life must go on.”

Mohini Mani, Ajith Kumar’s mother, passed away on Saturday, May 30, at a private hospital in Chennai due to age-related health issues. She was 89 years old, according to the official statement released by Ajith’s brother Anil Kumar on X.

Also Read: Actor Ajith’s mother dies at 89; CM Vijay, Kamal Haasan pay tribute

Anil Kumar’s statement read: “In Memoriam: Mohini Mani (1937-2026). Our mother, Mohini Mani, passed away early this morning, in her sleep, after a period of declining health. We are grateful for the care and support provided to her and our family by a number of medical professionals these last few years.”

At the time of her passing, Ajith Kumar was reportedly in Dubai, where he had been occupied with personal and professional commitments. He is said to have made immediate arrangements to return to Chennai upon hearing the news. The loss comes three years after the death of his father, P Subramaniam, who passed away on March 24, 2023, after battling ill health. Mohini is survived by her three sons, Anup Kumar, Ajith Kumar and Anil Kumar.

Condolences poured in from across the film industry and from political figures. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, who has been a close friend of Ajith’s for years, expressed his grief through the CMO, writing: “I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of my dear friend Mr. Ajith Kumar’s mother Mrs. Mohini Ammaiyar. I pray that her soul rests in the eternal peace of the Almighty. My deepest condolences to my friend Mr. Ajith Kumar and his family who are grieving the loss of their mother, who was their pillar of strength and support in all aspects of their lives.”

Ajith’s upcoming film

On the film front, Ajith was last seen in Good Bad Ugly, directed by Adhik Ravichandran and co-starring Trisha Krishnan and Arjun Das. His next project is a documentary, where he focuses on his professional motorsport journey and his racing team.