His dialogues ``Mona darling, smart boy, Lili don't be silly'', went on to become a rage and they sometimes overshadowed his earlier remarkable performances.

Born Hamid Ali Khan, near the historic Golconda district, Ajit had his early education in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. Hamid was the son of the personal driver of Nizam Osmal Ali Khan. Ajit entered the film industry to become a hero and did quite a few creditable films as lead artiste in Nastik, Bade Bhaiya, Milan, Baradari, and later as a second lead in Mughal-e-Azam and Naya Daur to name a few.

Ajit, who ran away from home to Mumbai after selling his college books, started his career in the 40's. Luck did not favour him in the initial stages of his career, when Dholak in which he made his debut as a hero flopped. Ajit switched over to play villain and withfilms like Jewel Thief, Zanjeer, Yaadon Ki Baraat among others, there was no looking back for Ajit.

In the mid-seventies he had acted in over 57 films mostly as villain. His dialogue delivery remains so popular even till this date that his son Shahazad had to imitate his father to survive in film world before making a name for himself.

His colleagues in the film industry -- leading personalities who have acted with him, grown seeing him in Mumbai -- have expressed deep sorrow over the death of the legendary actor.

Writer Javed Akhtar, who scripted Zanjeer, said, ``Like Bachchan, Ajit found a new image as villain after Zanjeer. He started a new innings in his career though he was an established hero in the fifties. His villainy started a new trend. Here was a new villain who was soft-spoken yet forceful. We wanted to give a different image to villainy which matched the hero.''

Another `villain' Amrish Puri said Ajit's death is a sad loss to films. ``Ajit developed his own style ofacting and delivery of dialogue. We still remember his style of acting which is guidance to the new generation of actors.''

Prem Chopra, who starred with Ajit in many films like Jugnu, Chupa Rustom and Ram Balram as father and son team, said Ajit was devoted in his work. He had a subtle sense of humour. He was a cultured man. We had a common interest -- reciting Urdu shairi.

New generation villain Kiran Kumar was shocked to hear that ``his Ajit uncle'' had passed away. ``Our relationship was more personal than professional. I must have been hardly eight or ten years when my father used to take me to Paradise Bakery opposite which was Ajit's residence. Father would call him by his first name Hamid, and would call him down. Ajit would come down, wearing lungi and Jaali banian to chat with my father.''