Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; February 18, 2019)

His intense eyes and brooding machismo have always added to his allure as an actor, but, there’s another aspect of Ajay Devgn’s stardom — his effortless ease with comedy. He keeps a straight face through the most insane comic gags and pulls them off with nonchalance. Known to be a prankster in real-life, he can be a really fun person to hang out with and not many know that he's a great conversationalist, too. With his latest comedy, Total Dhamaal up for release, the actor talks about the current trends in showbiz. Whether it's comedy, film production, political movies or parenting, Ajay makes it all look easy. Excerpts from a candid chat...

Lately, Hindi films have started focussing on high-concept entertainment. Even comedies are trying to evolve into smarter packages that promise to deliver a lot more to the audience. Do you agree?
A film has just one purpose, and that is to engage and entertain its audience. Fact is, we are currently in a phase where filmmakers and the audience are engaging with various kinds of films. And the best part is, most of these new films, whether they’re traditional or experimental, are doing well. That encourages the film industry to take more risks and create cutting-edge entertainment. When we made Golmaal, back in 2006, a few comedy films with new, realistic content had done well and people told us that a film like ours would not work at the box office. But, Golmaal released and the rest is history. Likewise, there was a conversation recently around massy entertainers not working, but Simmba found its audience, too. The basic idea is that every kind of film will succeed as long as people are entertained. Look at Uri, it’s a fabulous film and no wonder that it’s doing such great business. I feel that the Indian audience has opened up its horizons. They’ve started accepting and being receptive to every new genre of filmmaking. That is great for showbiz because it has opened up so many possibilities for storytelling. Filmmakers are now looking to deliver great quality. The film industry isn’t just focussing on telling stories, but also on pushing the envelope. That’s why a film like Total Dhamaal has such massive production values.

Total Dhamaal is being billed as an adventure comedy. What’s new about this family entertainer?
It’s the first attempt to make a film in the adventure-comedy genre in Hindi cinema. Usually, comedy films aren’t produced on such a big scale, and that in itself made the experience of working on the movie a lot of fun. I don’t know what the reaction to this film is going to be like, because sometimes, people end up looking for a certain kind of sensibility from mainstream comedies that are out to just entertain. Honestly, I feel that Total Dhamaal has the ability to make its audience laugh. I find it to be a really, really funny film. That’s the only thing we wanted to achieve and I feel that we have managed to do that to a certain extent. Obviously, the audience will have the final word.

You are producing a film, Tanhaji based on the life of a Maratha warrior, in which you are playing the title role, too. Nowadays, films with historical and political backdrops often get targeted by various parties and individuals, and the producer generally bears the brunt of it all. Does that make you conscious about the kind of subjects you choose for your films?
We have to be conscious and that’s always been the case. It’s not just a recent practice, film producers have been wary about their subjects for decades now. When you are in the spotlight, every little action or every word you speak in an interview or otherwise is scrutinised and observed very closely. Celebrities in India, or around the world, have to be conscious about their actions. Log aksar kehte hain ki hamein dar lagta hai kayi cheezein bolne se. Kyunki hota kya hai, aap ek statement dete ho aur use oppose karne ke liye kayi log khade ho jaate hain. Yes, the court may step in and rule in your favour and your film, but those who have stood up against you, won’t back down instantly. The insecurity of facing that conflict always works on your mind. At the end of the day, this is a business where someone is investing their hard-earned money. So, why would you burn a person’s house or destroy their livelihood over a creative product? Kisi nek insaan ka ghar bhi barbaad ho sakta hai, sirf ek film ke failure se. Why would anyone want to take that risk? So producers, filmmakers and actors, more often than not, prefer to take safe choices in terms of content.

You have been part of a phase when, during a box-office clash of two big films, actors were pitted against each other. But now, even when two big films release on the same weekend, and there are box office clashes, it's not played up as much as it used to. What do you think has changed?
During the 90s, when most of my contemporaries and I started working in films, we treated each other like colleagues and friends. I don't think any of us paid any attention to whose film was a success and whose wasn’t. But then, there was a phase where the comparisons began. I feel that this affinity to compare and analyse is related to films and not actors per se. You see, an actor can have a big hit, but the next release which can be a film from a very different genre, might not do as well. The success of a film is an uncertain prospect, as you can never really predict what will work and what won’t. I feel the fans, people and the media have realised this and accordingly stopped comparing actors or even movies to each other.

Your contemporaries including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan have explored TV as a new medium. Yet, you've remained selective about your appearances on the small screen.
I am a very lazy person. I hate doing new things and I hate going out. But I do realise the importance of being relevant. If someone does come up with a fabulous concept for a TV show, I would be totally up for it.

Do the opinions and influence of your children Nysa and Yug reflect on the kind of stories that you want to tell on screen?
Once you are a parent, your kids’ choices and opinions create a lot of impact on your own decisions. Yug has a thing for comedies, he just insists on watching funny films. The way my daughter reacts to my films or roles is also very important. Yug is still a little young, but Nysa is a part of the youth. The way children think and perceive things is completely different from the way we do. There’s so much to learn from their opinions and conversations. It’s good to have your kids by your side, because they keep you updated with what’s happening in the world. If you don’t move with the times you’re finished, it’s game over.

When the #MeToo movement caught on last year, you gave out a strong message on Twitter, advocating the need for safer working environment for women. In the past few months, how have things changed on your film sets and in your production house?
Everyone in the film industry has become very careful with issues about women’s safety, especially in the office environment. There’s been an increase in the collective consciousness around this subject. Perhaps, and I am merely guessing here, that we were ignorant about these issues earlier on, but with the #MeToo movement, we’ve all become more aware. I feel the movement has ushered in a lot of positive changes in the film industry, but going ahead, we should be careful that this platform should also not be misused. The first thing that we've done at all our offices and companies, is that we've trained our staff about sexual harassment and code of conduct. There can be times when a person says something, and they don’t mean any harm, but it comes across as something else. So, to ensure that such problems don’t crop up in the future, we have sensitised all our staff members and everyone knows about their limits and code of conduct.