Tanhaji may have given Ajay Devgn his career’s highest grossing film, but the 100-film-old actor still feels he’s a misfit in the industry
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 9, 2020)

You can tell it is Ajay Devgn from afar just by the way he walks. But he insists that his gait isn’t “cultivated”. We’re in a tent on a hill in Powai, where the star is in the midst of shooting his next, based on the life of legendary football coach Syed Abdul Rahim. Devgn’s latest release, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the 3D rendered biopic on the 17th century Maratha warrior has rocked the box office (260.67 crores and counting) — and become his highest-grossing film.

The 50-year-old actor, dressed in a plain grey shirt and dark trousers, has a cool 100 films under his belt. And over the years, he has remained a consistent star, steadily adapting to the times. What really sets him apart, however, is his peculiar ability to remain aloof in an industry as insular as Bollywood. “I am not completely fit to be in this industry in that sense,” he confesses, explaining how he could never keep up with the networking game — and “couldn’t care less” even if it curbed his options.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, who meet expectations rather than confound them, Devgn rarely does what’s expected of him. A determined recluse, he admits how hard he strives to limit his off-screen appearances to just film promotions, and how he’s “allergic” to interviews, socialising with peers, and social dos. “I’ve always stayed the way I am… on my own terms and conditions,” he says. “If I can get whatever little success from this, I am happy with that.”

A flying start
Devgn made his debut with Phool Aur Kaante (1991), a film that catapulted him to overnight stardom. He was 18 at the time and having “a wild time”, when his father, the late veteran action director Veeru Devgan, pulled him out of college and threw him into the deep end of the industry. “Before acting, I assisted Shekhar Kapur [director]. Initially, I was more drawn to editing, direction and writing,” he says. “I was certain that if my first film doesn’t work, I wouldn’t roam around with my portfolio, asking for work.”

Over the years, Devgn’s talent has been recognised. He won National Awards for his compelling turns in Mahesh Bhatt’s taut political drama Zakhm (1998) and Rajkumar Santoshi’s The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002). But by his own admission, he finds it unbearable to sit through his films when they air on TV. “Even in those films that have won awards I feel that I could’ve done better,” he says.

He isn’t, however, his fiercest critic. Devgn often turns to his 16-year-old daughter Nysa for a reality check. “If I’ve recorded a song, I make her listen to it and there are times she’s told me, ‘This kind of music doesn’t work today’,” he says. Surprisingly, he refrains from talking shop with his wife and actor Kajol. But does she have a favourite film of his? “I’ve never asked her,” he says. “But in an interview, she once named Company [2002].”

From goofy comedies (Golmaal) and romantic dramas (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) to Shakespearean adaptations (Omkara), Devgn has straddled a gamut of genres, even while recording sporadic success. What has stuck with audiences, however, is his image of a brooding action hero. “I’ve not built myself like that. Maybe it’s my personality that extends across the screen,” he says. “Also, before Ishq, I wasn’t really offered anything else”. Today, he prefers to “rotate genres to kill the monotony”. “As an actor, you can’t be too picky,” he says. “I always joke that the only genre I’m uncomfortable with, is porn.”

No regrets
That Devgn turned down superhits like Karan Arjun (1995), doesn’t bother him. “I don’t even regret those that I did to maintain friendships, which I knew wouldn’t work and were flops,” he says. What about his contemporaries and how their careers panned out? “I get along with most stars of my day. They’re around because they all have something to offer. And you can also be a superstar and not be a great actor, but know how to carry yourself. Even that’s something.”

Known for being inaccessible to the media, Devgn says he wasn’t always as reticent. “From raising my hand on them to sharing a drink and sorting things out, it’s been like any other friendship,” he says, adding that the proliferation of the media has made it difficult to retain that personal rapport he once shared. “Once they even linked me with a heroine who I had never met socially or even spoken to over the phone.”

As producer, Devgn greenlighted a diverse range of films, including the Nana Patekar-starrer Aapla Manus (2018). His checklist of evaluating a potential film is basic. “The story should connect with the audience, make one laugh, cry or engage with the characters.” This theory isn’t always foolproof, he says. “Raju Chacha, for instance, taught me that I need to control my expenses,” he says of the box office dud, which launched his production house in 2000.

Devgn is also known for his military-like discipline towards his fitness goals. We ask him whether he begins his day with half-a-glass of almond milk and a few dates, which catches him off guard. “Who told you?” He adds that he accompanies it with a heavy breakfast, and tries to “avoid carbs in the evening”.

At present, the actor has his hands full with biopics and is currently working on three — Bhuj, Maidaan and Chanakya. The choice of subjects, however, was “entirely based on merit”. “Look at Tanhaji, for instance. Why create fictional characters with that kind of heroism, emotion and vibe, when there are figures in history who offer all this.”

We’re joined by publicity design veteran and Devgn’s collaborator for over two decades, Rahul Nanda. He praises the actor’s ability to keep a straight face “even when life is stressful”. “Life doesn’t give you stress, people do,” the actor blurts out in his trademark deadpan style.

J P Dutta on completing his trilogy of war dramas, why he is no longer interested in the Battle of Saragarhi, and his upcoming project
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 23, 2018)

What was it like going back into the battle field 15 years after LOC Kargil?
I had made a commitment in the media that I’d make a trilogy of war films which I have completed with Border, LOC and now Paltan. And when I went back into the battle field, I felt like I’d never left. It was like two friends meeting after years and picking up from where they’d left off.

You selected a difficult location to pick up from, the first schedule being in Ladakh…
You could call me the filmmaker who shoots in naked places, from Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutch to Ladakh, I zero in on locations that are devoid of greenery. I don’t know why my journey takes me to these barren states but showcasing them on screen help them grow economically and give tourism a boost. I shot through the winter months of October, November and December when the temperature would sometimes drop to minus 20 degree but my producer-daughter Nidhi made sure my team and I were well taken care of.

Border was inspired by your late brother’s experiences as an Air Force pilot. What was the muse behind Paltan?
I have friends in armed forces and once when I was talking to a senior officer he mentioned this battle. It is a story which had got pushed under the carpet by the government of the day for whatever reason and I knew instantly that it had to be told. Like Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh which the Chinese are waiting to grab, they had designs on Sikkim too and the reason Sikkim is a part of India today is because of three battalions--the Grenadiers, the Rajputs and the Gurkhas — who stood their ground when the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attacked the border post of Nathu La in the early of September 11, 1967. We are awe-struck by China’s might today but we gave this powerful country a bloody nose in this battle.

Have you recreated the battles of both Nathu La and Cho La?
No, only Nathu La or else the distributors and exhibitors would crib that I had made another four-hour LOC.

Today, given the strained Indo-China relations, do you expect any objections?
When you are true to your country’s history no one can take objection. I’ve met men who fought in the battle. Their inputs have been woven into the script. It’s a realistic picture. Anyone can make a war film but it’s important to be aware of the ethos of the armed forces to do justice to them. My family— uncles, cousins and brother — were in the armed forces so I know it like the back of my hand.

Is the film on the Battle of Saragarhi still on?
Too many people have jumped into that battle. My film would have played it on an international platform because there are many foreigners involved. Right now, it’s not on my mind because I’m not happy with the way Hollywood works. You reach a stage and age when you don’t need to be told what to do and what not. Hollywood works in a different way and it makes me uncomfortable.

What is happening to Nidhi’s acting debut with Nafisa Ali’s son Ajit Sodhi?
The film, Jee Bhar Ke Jee Le, is ready and we are in talks with people to release it. It should see the light of the day soon. Meanwhile she’s shaped up into a brilliant producer.

So, with a producer in the house are there plans to make another film soon?
I am planning a historical and have a couple of options in mind. It’ll also be a true story.

Don’t you ever want to make an easier film?
The other day Rahul Nanda also asked me why I keep making these epic films. “Why can’t you make a small film?” he wondered and Nidhi butted in, saying, “Rahul uncle, papa can’t think small.” When we were doing Paltan, Javed (Akhtar) saab, Anu Malik and I were conscious that after the music we had made together, in particular Border (right), we would have to raise the bar with this one. These challenges excite you as a filmmaker.

So, when you look back on Paltan five years from now what will you remember?
(Laughing) That it was the easiest film I’ve made.

Nikhil Advani, admits that he erred with his last two films but is still in the race, producing three films and directing two more
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 28, 2015)