The year 2020 was his year, going by the professional high he achieved. Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior remains the only highlight for Bollywood in a year which saw it being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. His film was the sole blockbuster of 2020. The 51-year-old was also among the first few A-listers to get back to work with his next directorial MayDay. Excerpts from an interview:

I’m ecstatic with the box-office of our film. No, I wasn’t expecting it to break records. It is my 100th film. In a career spanning 29 years, I have seen so many highs and lows, accolades and brickbats, that I never go into a film thinking it will break records. I’m a seasoned player. I do a film because I believe in it.

With Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, I knew we had a strong story, good dialogues and a bunch of effective actors. I then combined it with spectacular VFX, done by my company.

I don’t know what to call 2020. You can it eventful or you can call it uneventful. By the time we adjusted to the lens through which to look at the Coronavirus pandemic our viewpoints changed. Through the year, I had many reasons to be happy. For instance, January gave me Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, December gave me MayDay. In between, like the global fraternity, I had moments of anxiety and frustration. Work came to a stand still. My family life was disrupted. It was a complete mix of emotions.

We took a big hit because theatres closed. My own chain of theatres up North is bleeding. I say a prayer each day for the industry and for our business. It is not for me alone, but for the thousands whose direct means of livelihood come from cinema. I hope we are able to bring back the blockbuster days to the box-office because it will take many blockbusters to infuse life into our failed economy.

It combined a good story of bravery and valour with spectacular VFX. That made it work.