Ajay Devgn remains anxious ahead of the release of the 100th film of his career, admires wife Kajol’s maturity as an actor
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 7, 2020)

Actor-producer Ajay Devgn is on cloud nine as the 100th film of his career, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, is all set to hit the theatres this Friday. He sheds light on walking a fine line and striking a balance between fact and fiction in this magnum opus. “The budget of this film is close to the budget of any big film,” the producer in him says, without sharing any more details. He also talks about watching his wife and co-star in the film, Kajol, grow over the years as an actor. Excerpts:

How are you feeling ahead of the release of your latest film?
The promotions are hectic. But what’s keeping me busy are the final touches of the film.

An actor wants to push the envelope but a producer knows that there are budgetary constraints…
It’s vice-versa. As a producer, I push more boundaries. Not everything is about money. To make a big film like Tanhaji, you need intelligence and you need to be technically savvy. The budget of this film is nowhere more than any big film. But if you see the visuals and the special effects, it’ll look like a huge film. And that’s only because we’ve been working on it for four years.

I own a VFX company too. The way in which we would shoot the film and design it was envisioned four years ago. We had created all the assets back then. We’ve worked hard at it. Anybody can make a film if they have money. If you have ₹2,000 crore, you can make a film that’s at par with any Hollywood film. I take great pride in saying that we’ve pulled similar effects in this film. The 3D, the VFX and the technology used in it are a first and are made in India.

Do the actor and producer in you ever have conflicting views?
Not at all! That’s because even as an actor, I think like a producer. There’s no wastage of resources and there’s no compromise either. I don’t do that for only my productions but also for films produced by others.

The VFX used in Indian films tend to get a little gimmicky and in-your-face. What was your brief to the special effects team for Tanhaji?
The VFX in Tanhaji isn’t like that. Look at Shivaay (2016) for that matter. Was it in-your-face? The CGI and the VFX weren’t gimmicky either. We kept it very real. I don’t just brief them, but I also work with them. We work together keeping both the realism and larger-than-life elements in mind. We aim to strike a good balance.

How do you make a film like Tanhaji, which doesn’t have the data that was required?
We lack adequate information in the chapters of history books. Different books are written from different points of view. So it’s very difficult to tread that thin line of realism, justify the characters and still be imaginative enough to dramatise the characters so that the audience enjoys it. You’ve to be careful and try to achieve all three.

Tahanji is your 100th film. Do you still feel scared before the release of your films?
It doesn’t scare me (smiles). But I’m anxious to know what will happen to them because we all work so hard and the whole team puts in so much of effort. I expect people to like the film. But what if you went wrong and people don’t like the film? It’s like you’re awaiting your results after an examination. You don’t know how the audience is going to react and that makes me anxious.

Kajol and you have worked together in so many films. How have you seen her grow as an actor?
She has always been a fabulous actor. We feel amazed that she suddenly becomes someone else in front of the camera. She can effortlessly switch on and off. With experience comes maturity, and she has matured as a person. Her understanding of things has become better. She has gone beyond what she was as an actor.

Are you anxious about becoming a new character before you start shooting for a film?
I do think for some time till I give my first shot. That anxiousness lies between reaching the set and facing the camera. I keep wondering if I’ll be able to pull it off.

You began editing and directing films since you were a teenager. Do you remember those days?
Of course, I do. I used to make ads using my camera. My dad used to shoot. He used to teach me technicalities associated with filming and the basics of editing. He used to create the same effect without the use of CGI. I used to learn from him, do it at home and then show it to him. Then I started shooting my films. That’s how I started working as an assistant to Shekhar Kapur (filmmaker) and then Deepak Shivdasani (filmmaker). But I’ve lost all the shots and sequences that I took and edited.

When did you become serious about acting?
I became serious when I started shooting for Phool Aur Kaante (1991). I believe that if you want to do something, you should do it right or you might as well not do it. I got serious the day I reached the set. Once the film was released and it worked, came the responsibility. Since people liked me, I had to make sure that I keep up the good work.

Post Tanhaji, you’ve Bhuj: The Pride Of India and Maidaan. Is it a coincidence that all these films are based on real life events?
I think it’s a coincidence. I want to break the chain and so, I’m doing Golmaal 5 after them. Having said that, I think real life characters really fascinate me. As actors and producers, we look for scripts that excite the audience and that have storylines peppered with ample drama and emotions. When you see a character that’s based on a real life person, you start wondering as to what their mindset would be like, how they made the sacrifices that they did, what was going on in their minds when they fought and how strong they were. These are the things that excite a viewer. As a result, I like telling such stories.

You’re a private person. But your children, Nysa and Yug, are snapped by the shutterbugs every time they step out. How comfortable are you with that?
I’m not comfortable with that. But I can’t do anything about it. So my children, Kajol and I choose to ignore it because you can’t fight these things.

How do you think has the concept of stardom changed?
I think the stardom that we all knew of back in the day has faded away. With the influx of social media, one knows everything about a star. Every tiny detail about them is out there for people to read and know. Earlier, you didn’t know much about a star. You only knew them from afar. So there was a sense of intrigue surrounding stars. You wanted to know more about them and their lives. But that’s over now.

People keep asking me about who I think is the next superstar. I tell them that the term ‘superstar’ doesn’t hold any relevance today. There’ll be stars but no superstars anymore. But these stars will change every Friday.

You had said you want to get into full-time production and cut down on your acting projects...
I’m trying to strike a balance. But eventually, I’m going to become a full-fledged producer. I know that there’s a limit as an actor. After a couple of years, I might not be a mainstream actor anymore and get into character roles. So my focus will slowly but obviously shift to production.

But isn’t the limelight very addictive?
It is, but I can’t keep holding onto it. Before I’m kicked out, I want to walk out myself (smiles).