On Ajay Devgn’s birthday, tracing the actor’s endless quest for excellence-Entertainment News , Firstpost

Things couldn’t get any better for Birthday Boy Ajay Devgn even if he tried harder. All his films during the pandemic barring the execrable Bhuj, have been ‘runway’ hits; and Runway 34, in case we miss the point, is the title of Devgn’s forthcoming film which he also directs. This would be Devgn’s third attempt at direction. His first two directorial ventures U Me Aur Hum and Shivay were not successful.

That doesn’t stop him from moving from one goal to another.

The quest for excellence is endless. From his debut in Phool Aur Kaante as a leading man, his career has never known a downswing. Ajay Devgn once said to me that his career is like an investment as he would like to make his children proud. The actor has always impressed audiences with his versatility. However, he isn’t comfortable talking about his achievements. This is the way he is and he doesn’t want to change himself. Devgn tried to get media savvy, but it made him uncomfortable.

He once said to me, “I’m a happy man the way I am. As long as I can look back on my career and say I did everything on my own terms, I’ve no reason to regret. I look at my career as an investment. I really believe there’s no point in talking about yourself. As long as you know about my achievements, there’s really very little point proclaiming them from rooftops. Don’t expect the world to bow to your whims just because you’re successful today. Success can be lost any time. Those who create unnecessary hype around their careers know it’s not for real. I wonder what satisfaction they get out of it!”

Ajay Devgn’s friends have been with him from the time he entered the industry. His directors like Prakash Jha and Rohit Shetty find him addictive.

Best friend and favourite director Rohit Shetty’s dad was also a stunt man, the renowned Shetty. Ajay and Rohit’s one binding factor is their mutual affinity to upping the ante with the action in each film. Predominantly an action hero Ajay Devgn played romantic roles in Prakash Jha’s Dil Kya Kare (opposite his wife Kajol) and in Harry Baweja’s Main Aisa Hi Hoon. Both bombed miserably.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali who worked with Ajay for the second time after Hum…Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999 in Gangubai Kathiawadi says, “I was apprehensive of what it would be like to work with Ajay after 22 years. But he was exactly the same. He reaches the sets an hour before shooting: which other A-list actor in Bollywood does that? He knows his lines and he knows how to say them with exactly the correct pauses. Ajay doesn’t need to raise his voice to be heard. Look at what he did with the role of the ganglord in Gangubai Kathiawadi. I wanted someone who can instil fear and respect in his followers. Ajay did both.”

Sanjay remembers how nervous Alia was of working with Devgn. “But once they met and rehearsed their scenes together Ajay made her very comfortable. Their scenes together worked because of the power and magnetism Ajay brought to them.”

Ajay by the way doesn’t like to be complimented. He feels if you’ve people constantly telling you how great you are, then that’s not healthy for you.

Ajay is a fearless actor. He is not scared of any competition and he is not scared of making mistakes.

“I want to grow as an actor. And the only way to grow is to take risks,” he says

Ajay Devgn is for my money the most dependable star actor in Mumbai.“When a producer invests in a film starring Ajay Devgn he knows he won’t lose money. Ajay has a very staunch fan-following. His audience doesn’t change every Friday,” says Prakash Jha.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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