Ajay Devgan:In Omkara, inspired by Othello and rooted fin UP, Ajay Devgan played a jealous husband and in Golmaal, a comedy, he successfully made you laugh. Talking to Prabhu Chawla in Seedhi Baat Devgan said, “I always want to grow. I do not like to on doing the same thing, the same way. What is the use of doing it? Do you not grow and change?” (Prabhu Chawla has, on the contrary, regressed but that is another story.) In the kitty are Ram Gopal Verma’s Sholay (in which he plays Veeru, done by Dharmendra in the original) Saamna, London Dreams and Gulel.
Devgan may not be in the same bracket as Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan as far as his acting fee and fan following is concerned but any serious student of cinema would take him much more seriously as an actor.
With the kind of personality Ajay Devgan has, few would dare to dream of becoming a 'hero'. But Ajay is fulfilling the dream of his father Veeru Devgan. It was Veeru who had come to Bombay four decades ago to make it as an actor. He was a runaway from North and didn't have the heart to go back when he realized the impossibility of his fantasy. He struggled, sold cheap furniture carrying it on his head and worked in motor garages of Koilwada while struggling in the industry. He found his feet as a stuntman and grew up to become a fight director.
Yet, when he announced `Phool aur Kante' as a launch vehicle for his son industry seemed cynical. Apparently, Veeru had reserved the best stunts for his son and it was only when the film became a hit that Ajay was taken seriously as a possible star. Yet, few had seen the possibility of the intense emotions from his 'sad' eyes.
In fact, his friend Vikram Bhatt had a dream of becoming an actor and Ajay had visualized himself as a director. It is the irony of their lives that Vikram Bhatt has become a director, quietly nursing the dreams of becoming actor one day and Ajay is an actor. And good at that.
When he played a terrorist in 'Diljale', Ajay has left an impact. And has been able match histrionics with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan in 'Major Saab', has even been able to get the national award for playing an illegitimate son in Mahesh Bhatt's 'Zakham'. In fact, this was the second time he played a similar character in the same film maker's aubiographical films. The first time was in 'Najayaz'.
More challenging was the job of stealing the thunder of Salman Khan in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'. It was a complex role where, when Ajay realizes that his wife Aishwarya is in love with Salman, he decides to find him by taking her to Italy (where Salman is supposed to be) so that she can be happy! Like happens to all beautiful dreams, 'Hindustan ki Kasam', the dream of Veeru Devgan turned into a nightmare when he decided to fulfill another dream of his: direction. However, the bitter taste of failure was forgotten in the sounds of shehnais when Ajay Devgan married Kajol.
Kajol’s entry in his life brought a change in him. What were once his dreams became ambitions he started chasing.
His own production Raju Chacha that was whispered to be his benaami attempt at direction bombed dragging him, financially, to the lowest point in his career. Yet, he picked up courage and, like Shashi Kapoor did to build Prithivi Theatre, signed several films to repay the loans. The point to note is that while Shashi Kapoor simply walked in and out of those non descript films playing non-descript characters, Ajay was noticed as an actor in most of them. Lajja, Company, Bhagatsingh in the Legend of Bhagatsingh, an intense, negative role with complex shades in Deewangee where he easily overshadowed Akshay Khanna, Bhoot, Qayamat, Gangajal, a negative role in Khakee, Yuva, Tango Charlie, Raincoat, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Apaharan and Shikhar are some of those.
Ajay Devgan plays Veeru in 'Ram Gopal Varma Ke Sholay' a remake of Ramesh Sippy's 'Sholay' starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Hema Malini which is one of the biggest box office grossers of all time.
Ajay Devgan has also announced plans to officially direct a movie titled 'Main Tum and Hum' co-starring actress-wife Kajol, Saif Ali Khan and Bipasha Basu.
Devgan may not be in the same bracket as Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan as far as his acting fee and fan following is concerned but any serious student of cinema would take him much more seriously as an actor.
With the kind of personality Ajay Devgan has, few would dare to dream of becoming a 'hero'. But Ajay is fulfilling the dream of his father Veeru Devgan. It was Veeru who had come to Bombay four decades ago to make it as an actor. He was a runaway from North and didn't have the heart to go back when he realized the impossibility of his fantasy. He struggled, sold cheap furniture carrying it on his head and worked in motor garages of Koilwada while struggling in the industry. He found his feet as a stuntman and grew up to become a fight director.
Yet, when he announced `Phool aur Kante' as a launch vehicle for his son industry seemed cynical. Apparently, Veeru had reserved the best stunts for his son and it was only when the film became a hit that Ajay was taken seriously as a possible star. Yet, few had seen the possibility of the intense emotions from his 'sad' eyes.
In fact, his friend Vikram Bhatt had a dream of becoming an actor and Ajay had visualized himself as a director. It is the irony of their lives that Vikram Bhatt has become a director, quietly nursing the dreams of becoming actor one day and Ajay is an actor. And good at that.
When he played a terrorist in 'Diljale', Ajay has left an impact. And has been able match histrionics with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan in 'Major Saab', has even been able to get the national award for playing an illegitimate son in Mahesh Bhatt's 'Zakham'. In fact, this was the second time he played a similar character in the same film maker's aubiographical films. The first time was in 'Najayaz'.
More challenging was the job of stealing the thunder of Salman Khan in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'. It was a complex role where, when Ajay realizes that his wife Aishwarya is in love with Salman, he decides to find him by taking her to Italy (where Salman is supposed to be) so that she can be happy! Like happens to all beautiful dreams, 'Hindustan ki Kasam', the dream of Veeru Devgan turned into a nightmare when he decided to fulfill another dream of his: direction. However, the bitter taste of failure was forgotten in the sounds of shehnais when Ajay Devgan married Kajol.
Kajol’s entry in his life brought a change in him. What were once his dreams became ambitions he started chasing.
His own production Raju Chacha that was whispered to be his benaami attempt at direction bombed dragging him, financially, to the lowest point in his career. Yet, he picked up courage and, like Shashi Kapoor did to build Prithivi Theatre, signed several films to repay the loans. The point to note is that while Shashi Kapoor simply walked in and out of those non descript films playing non-descript characters, Ajay was noticed as an actor in most of them. Lajja, Company, Bhagatsingh in the Legend of Bhagatsingh, an intense, negative role with complex shades in Deewangee where he easily overshadowed Akshay Khanna, Bhoot, Qayamat, Gangajal, a negative role in Khakee, Yuva, Tango Charlie, Raincoat, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Apaharan and Shikhar are some of those.
Ajay Devgan plays Veeru in 'Ram Gopal Varma Ke Sholay' a remake of Ramesh Sippy's 'Sholay' starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Hema Malini which is one of the biggest box office grossers of all time.
Ajay Devgan has also announced plans to officially direct a movie titled 'Main Tum and Hum' co-starring actress-wife Kajol, Saif Ali Khan and Bipasha Basu.
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