‘I’m in awe of my daughter’
The usually reticent Ajay Devgan gets talking to After Hours about his directorial debut and the ‘woman power’ at home
Amidst the Khan domination, he is the distinguished Devgan. Absorbed solely in his craft and resisting the paraphernalia that comes with stardom, Ajay has steered away from the beaten path.
“Whatever little success I’ve achieved has been my own terms. I’m proud that I didn’t have to succumb to pressures or change myself to achieve something more than I already have,” he notes.
While the year promises some mega releases for him - Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Cash’, Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Sholay’, Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Halla Bol’ and Rohit Shetty’s ‘Sunday’ - Ajay is also calling the shots for his home production ‘U, Me aur Hum’.
For someone who began editing his father’s (veteran action director Veeru Devgan) sequences at the age of 10, this seems but a natural progression. “It’s a commercial film. I’m not trying to prove a point saying, ‘Look, I’ve made a kickass film!’ It’s just an attempt to make a good film.” And having seen both extremes of luck, Ajay is grounded enough to not be affected by its vagaries. “When you’ve seen your father work from scratch, his highs and lows, it gives you the confidence to change things for yourself too.”
While the ‘brooding and intense’ image wows women, Ajay asserts that he is ‘a happy-go-lucky guy’. “I have my share fun. If you take life or your work too seriously then you won’t be able to enjoy it.” The actor who lives life ‘moment by moment’ adds, “I’m a very lazy person. It takes much effort to get me out of the house.”
Urge Ajay to talk about the women in his life and he pithily says, “Kajol has added everything to my life. I am what I am due to the women in my life- my mother, my wife and my daughter Nysa. I’m a satisfied person or else it would’ve reflected in my work and behaviour.”
Ask Ajay what kind of a dad he is and he says with a boyish grin, “I’m in awe of my daughter. Nysa has taught me to laugh, to smile and forget my problems once I’m home.” He adds, “Though she’s much like me in temperament, she blabbers continuously like Kajol.” And daddy’s tip to Nysa? “I’d say- ‘Look, I followed what I thought was right in life. I regret nothing. I never did what my heart said no to...’”
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Monday 25 June 2007
Aankhen 2 with Ajay Devgan and Aamir Khan?
What a sight!
Gaurang Doshi, the producer of Aankhen, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Sen is all set to make a sequel to his film. But it will be a sequel with a 'difference' (haven't we heard that before?). Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Khanna will replace the earlier cast, only Amitabh Bachchan will feature from the previous cast. The film will be made in three languages, English, Tamil and Hindi.
Says a source, "Gaurang Doshi is set to sign Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Khanna and Upen Patel for Aankhen 2 this week. He is planning to cast Ajay Devgan in a negative role, Bachchan will be seen in the film once again. As for the girls, Sushmita might be missing. In her place, two other actresses will be seen. What's more, the three guys won't be blind this time."
But what stopped Gaurang from having his earlier team on board for Aankhen 2? He's even going ahead with a new director. "Gaurang had fall-out with Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah during the making of Aankhen. So he decided to make Aankhen 2 without them. Instead, he's finalised a new director from an advertising background," says our source.
Not just that, Aankhen 2 promises to have a better reach as it will be made in three languages i.e. Hindi, English and Tamil, "The Tamil version will have top-notch stars from the South. The rights for the English version are with Mark Johnson, the producer of films like Chronicles of Narnia, Rain Man etc. "Gaurang is leaving for LA to finalise all the details pertaining to the English version," says our source.
When contacted Gaurang Doshi, said, "Who has leaked all the information across to you?" and added, "Yes, I can only let you know that the Hindi version will have five big heroes, the sequel to Aankhen should be big. But I can't let out the details at this point. And how did you come to know about my LA trip?"
Gaurang Doshi, the producer of Aankhen, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Sen is all set to make a sequel to his film. But it will be a sequel with a 'difference' (haven't we heard that before?). Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Khanna will replace the earlier cast, only Amitabh Bachchan will feature from the previous cast. The film will be made in three languages, English, Tamil and Hindi.
Says a source, "Gaurang Doshi is set to sign Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Khanna and Upen Patel for Aankhen 2 this week. He is planning to cast Ajay Devgan in a negative role, Bachchan will be seen in the film once again. As for the girls, Sushmita might be missing. In her place, two other actresses will be seen. What's more, the three guys won't be blind this time."
But what stopped Gaurang from having his earlier team on board for Aankhen 2? He's even going ahead with a new director. "Gaurang had fall-out with Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah during the making of Aankhen. So he decided to make Aankhen 2 without them. Instead, he's finalised a new director from an advertising background," says our source.
Not just that, Aankhen 2 promises to have a better reach as it will be made in three languages i.e. Hindi, English and Tamil, "The Tamil version will have top-notch stars from the South. The rights for the English version are with Mark Johnson, the producer of films like Chronicles of Narnia, Rain Man etc. "Gaurang is leaving for LA to finalise all the details pertaining to the English version," says our source.
When contacted Gaurang Doshi, said, "Who has leaked all the information across to you?" and added, "Yes, I can only let you know that the Hindi version will have five big heroes, the sequel to Aankhen should be big. But I can't let out the details at this point. And how did you come to know about my LA trip?"
Kya mamu banaya!
Kya mamu banaya!
Delhi junta mistakes Ajay Devgan for real-life cop and beats co-actor Ashish Mohan thinking he's a thief
Recently, while shooting for Rohit Shetty's Sunday in Delhi, one of the film's actors was beaten up by the public courtesy co-star Ajay Devgan. The actor, who plays a police officer in the film, was chasing Ashish Mohan (also an assistant director on the film) down Chandani Chowk on a motorbike for a scene when the Delhi junta mistook him for a real-life thief. As a result, Mohan was beaten up black and blue!
A unit source informs, "The public literally pounced on Ashish when they saw he was being chased by a cop on a bike. Initially, Ashish thought somebody was playing a prank on him and screamed for help but the public was in no mood to listen. Rohit Shetty finally had to intervene and control the situation. Later, Ajay checked up on Ashish to see if he was alright."
The source explains that the public was unable to identify the actors and that's why it went out of hand. "Ajay was wearing a helmet and a police uniform, so the public mistook the scene for an actual chor-police chase. First, two men got off an autorickshaw and caught Ashish by the collar. Seeing this, some roadside romeos too joined in to beat Ashish."
Director Rohit Shetty confirms the incident and says he was shooting the scene with hidden cameras. "It's very difficult to shoot in Chandani Chowk. At any given instant, there are over 1 lakh people present, so we decided to shoot with hidden cameras from a certain distance. I wanted the actors involved in the scene to go all out in the chase and normal cameras would've alerted the public to what was going on," he says.
When Ajay saw the public reaction, he froze in his tracks. But a few seconds later he burst out laughing. "My assistants and I ran to save Ashish and explained to the public that we were shooting a film. They did not believe us since they couldn't see any cameras around but we managed to convince them," Shetty adds.
A crewmember adds that the public in Delhi is extremely unpredictable. "We had to protect Ajay and hence made him wear a helmet. As for other actors, they shot most of their scenes indoors. There's another scene where Ajay wasn't required to ride a bike, but still he came to the venue wearing a helmet. We had to shoot adjacent to the Jama Masjid and it's a very crowded area, so we instructed Ajay to ride the bike all the way from the hotel to the Jama Masjid," says the source.
Sunday is produced by Ajay's secretary-turned-director Kumar Mangat. The film, scheduled to release in November, stars Ajay Devgan, Ayesha Takia, Irrfan Khan and Arshad Warsi.
Delhi junta mistakes Ajay Devgan for real-life cop and beats co-actor Ashish Mohan thinking he's a thief
Recently, while shooting for Rohit Shetty's Sunday in Delhi, one of the film's actors was beaten up by the public courtesy co-star Ajay Devgan. The actor, who plays a police officer in the film, was chasing Ashish Mohan (also an assistant director on the film) down Chandani Chowk on a motorbike for a scene when the Delhi junta mistook him for a real-life thief. As a result, Mohan was beaten up black and blue!
A unit source informs, "The public literally pounced on Ashish when they saw he was being chased by a cop on a bike. Initially, Ashish thought somebody was playing a prank on him and screamed for help but the public was in no mood to listen. Rohit Shetty finally had to intervene and control the situation. Later, Ajay checked up on Ashish to see if he was alright."
The source explains that the public was unable to identify the actors and that's why it went out of hand. "Ajay was wearing a helmet and a police uniform, so the public mistook the scene for an actual chor-police chase. First, two men got off an autorickshaw and caught Ashish by the collar. Seeing this, some roadside romeos too joined in to beat Ashish."
Director Rohit Shetty confirms the incident and says he was shooting the scene with hidden cameras. "It's very difficult to shoot in Chandani Chowk. At any given instant, there are over 1 lakh people present, so we decided to shoot with hidden cameras from a certain distance. I wanted the actors involved in the scene to go all out in the chase and normal cameras would've alerted the public to what was going on," he says.
When Ajay saw the public reaction, he froze in his tracks. But a few seconds later he burst out laughing. "My assistants and I ran to save Ashish and explained to the public that we were shooting a film. They did not believe us since they couldn't see any cameras around but we managed to convince them," Shetty adds.
A crewmember adds that the public in Delhi is extremely unpredictable. "We had to protect Ajay and hence made him wear a helmet. As for other actors, they shot most of their scenes indoors. There's another scene where Ajay wasn't required to ride a bike, but still he came to the venue wearing a helmet. We had to shoot adjacent to the Jama Masjid and it's a very crowded area, so we instructed Ajay to ride the bike all the way from the hotel to the Jama Masjid," says the source.
Sunday is produced by Ajay's secretary-turned-director Kumar Mangat. The film, scheduled to release in November, stars Ajay Devgan, Ayesha Takia, Irrfan Khan and Arshad Warsi.
Ajay Devgan's role of a lifetime
Ajay Devgan's role of a lifetime!
Ajay Devgan dons innumerable caps in Rajkumar Santoshi's HALLA BOL. But the most interesting cap that he dons, according to the maker is that of a man who meets his conscience in his journey of life.
"It is a beautiful role. Ajay is a versatile actor. Only he could have done justice to the character," says Rajkumar Santoshi who is looking forward to the thought-provoking entertainer hitting the marquee this August. "The thought of the film appealed to me. It was hard-hitting. The first person, in fact the only person who came to my mind, was Ajay," he reveals. "And now, we are ready with the film.
Ajay has more than done justice to the character of Ashfaque aka Sameer Khan. His portrayal of a small-town boy becoming a successful film star, and his struggle, and confronting his own conscience will bring to light various facets of the actor and human being."
Ajay Devgan dons innumerable caps in Rajkumar Santoshi's HALLA BOL. But the most interesting cap that he dons, according to the maker is that of a man who meets his conscience in his journey of life.
"It is a beautiful role. Ajay is a versatile actor. Only he could have done justice to the character," says Rajkumar Santoshi who is looking forward to the thought-provoking entertainer hitting the marquee this August. "The thought of the film appealed to me. It was hard-hitting. The first person, in fact the only person who came to my mind, was Ajay," he reveals. "And now, we are ready with the film.
Ajay has more than done justice to the character of Ashfaque aka Sameer Khan. His portrayal of a small-town boy becoming a successful film star, and his struggle, and confronting his own conscience will bring to light various facets of the actor and human being."
really don't have any forte' Ajay Devgan Interview
really don't have any forte'
Was it difficult to break out of your action hero image?
No, I think I was lucky to get the right roles at the right time with the right directors . That gave me scope to do lots of different things. I did Phool aur Kaante then Jigar and then Divyashakti which wasn't an action film. Then came Dilwale which was a big hit followed by Zakhm and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam . Like that, three-four films came together, so it wasn't that difficult.
What's important, critical acclaim or mass popularity?
It should be a balance of both. Nothing works single-handedly. It's very important for critics to appreciate your work, it gives you satisfaction, and also supports the film and makes people see it. The second aspect too is important for people to see your film and appreciate it because that's how the collections come.
Action, comedy, romance - what's your forte?
I really don't think there is a forte. I should be convinced and charged about the character and the film. Then I tend to do better, but later if I feel that the film is not working or I'm not enjoying playing the character , then it becomes very difficult for me to work. I know it's not professional of me but that's how it is. I start losing interest.
Your character Omkara was the central character in that film yet Saif walked away with all the praise...
Nothing like that. There was a hero, there was a villain and I think Saif did brilliantly well. I really think the kind of appreciation I got was good. So it was a balanced thing. Somebody had to do this and somebody had to do that. If I had been asked to do Saif's role then I wouldn't have done it, only for one reason that I have done a few negative roles in the recent past. It was getting monotonous for me. I was happier playing Omkara than Langda Tyagi.
You're playing Veeru's character in Ram Gopal Verma's remake of Sholay. What should the audience expect from it?
Sholay has shaped up very well and I'm also waiting for its release. The audience cannot think about the earlier film because the whole concept of this film is different. The setting is urban, the humour is urban and the attitudes too. When you change the situation of the film everything changes. So I don't think there can be any comparison .
You're turned director with U, Me Aur Hum. How is it like to be in the director's seat?
Nothing different, really. I'm just doing what I was earlier doing when I used to be an assistant director.
Kajol is working in the film. How's it like to direct your wife?
She's a great actress and we share a comfort zone. As for who calls the shots, come and see on the sets.
It's seen that off-screen couples don't make good pairs on-screen ...
That's not true. We did Pyar To Hona Hi Tha and Ishq and both worked well. If it's a good film it works, if not then it flops.
Lastly, how do you rate yourself as an actor?
I'm nobody to decide such a thing. Everybody thinks they're the best. I think it's for the audience to decide.
Was it difficult to break out of your action hero image?
No, I think I was lucky to get the right roles at the right time with the right directors . That gave me scope to do lots of different things. I did Phool aur Kaante then Jigar and then Divyashakti which wasn't an action film. Then came Dilwale which was a big hit followed by Zakhm and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam . Like that, three-four films came together, so it wasn't that difficult.
What's important, critical acclaim or mass popularity?
It should be a balance of both. Nothing works single-handedly. It's very important for critics to appreciate your work, it gives you satisfaction, and also supports the film and makes people see it. The second aspect too is important for people to see your film and appreciate it because that's how the collections come.
Action, comedy, romance - what's your forte?
I really don't think there is a forte. I should be convinced and charged about the character and the film. Then I tend to do better, but later if I feel that the film is not working or I'm not enjoying playing the character , then it becomes very difficult for me to work. I know it's not professional of me but that's how it is. I start losing interest.
Your character Omkara was the central character in that film yet Saif walked away with all the praise...
Nothing like that. There was a hero, there was a villain and I think Saif did brilliantly well. I really think the kind of appreciation I got was good. So it was a balanced thing. Somebody had to do this and somebody had to do that. If I had been asked to do Saif's role then I wouldn't have done it, only for one reason that I have done a few negative roles in the recent past. It was getting monotonous for me. I was happier playing Omkara than Langda Tyagi.
You're playing Veeru's character in Ram Gopal Verma's remake of Sholay. What should the audience expect from it?
Sholay has shaped up very well and I'm also waiting for its release. The audience cannot think about the earlier film because the whole concept of this film is different. The setting is urban, the humour is urban and the attitudes too. When you change the situation of the film everything changes. So I don't think there can be any comparison .
You're turned director with U, Me Aur Hum. How is it like to be in the director's seat?
Nothing different, really. I'm just doing what I was earlier doing when I used to be an assistant director.
Kajol is working in the film. How's it like to direct your wife?
She's a great actress and we share a comfort zone. As for who calls the shots, come and see on the sets.
It's seen that off-screen couples don't make good pairs on-screen ...
That's not true. We did Pyar To Hona Hi Tha and Ishq and both worked well. If it's a good film it works, if not then it flops.
Lastly, how do you rate yourself as an actor?
I'm nobody to decide such a thing. Everybody thinks they're the best. I think it's for the audience to decide.
Monday 18 June 2007
Sunday 17 June 2007
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