Kajol and daughter Nysa, who are currently in Singapore, will miss the celebration of Yug's special day that will be held at family's farmhouse
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 9, 2020)

A 10th birthday is one of many landmarks in a child's life that parents eagerly await. But at the Devgn household, celebrations for Yug will be significantly muted this time around, owing to the pandemic. Sources tell mid-day that Ajay will mark his son's birthday on September 13 at their Panvel farmhouse in the absence of wife Kajol and daughter Nysa, given that the duo is currently in Singapore where Nysa is set to resume her education at the United World College of South East Asia.

"Ajay has been looking after Yug at home while working on a few home-productions, including Bhuj: The Pride of India. But, he wants to mark Yug's 10th birthday, and make it special. Since Kajol and Nysa are not here, he has invited his relatives, who will drive down to his sprawling farmhouse over the next few days," says the source, adding that while the celebration will be curtailed, Ajay has order Yug's favourite cake, and has a few surprises in store for him.

It was the parents' decision to keep their daughter company amid a pandemic, owing to which Kajol took off to Singapore with Nysa. The source says she is likely to spend a couple of months there before returning home. "This is the first time that Kajol won't be with Yug for his birthday. She will connect with him on video-call."

Last year, the duo had marked Yug's birthday together at their Juhu bungalow.

While Ajay Devgn spends time in city with their son Yug; actor has been working on two scripts during the lockdown
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 1, 2020)

Days before a nationwide lockdown was announced in March, Kajol flew to Singapore to bring her 17-year-old daughter Nysa home, after the latter’s school shut down following the Coronavirus-triggered pandemic. Over the last five months, Ajay Devgn and Kajol have spent quality time with their kids, Nysa and son Yug. Earlier this month, Kajol took off with Nysa to Singapore as schools and colleges reopened.

“Nysa is studying at United World College of South East Asia in Singapore, and Kajol and Ajay don’t want their daughter to miss out on studies. At the same time, they don’t want her to be alone in a foreign country in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, which is why Kajol accompanied her there. She will be staying in Singapore for the next few months. In 2018, Ajay and she bought an apartment in the city to make their stay more comfortable,” informed a source.

Meanwhile, Ajay is working on two scripts for his home production and also overseeing the post-production of his upcoming films. On shooting front, he is constantly monitoring the on-ground scenario and will get back to set only when he feels it’s safe. “Right now, he is happy to be home with son Yug,” the source added.

Meanwhile, there is some patchwork left on his war film, Bhuj: The Pride of India, that he has to get back to, followed by Maidaan, the Syed Abdul Rahim biopic which chronicles the golden era of Indian football. Films that are yet to go on the floors include the Kaithi remake, Golmaal Five and Chanakya to name a few. He also has an extended cameo in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming copdrama, the Akshay Kumar starrer-Sooryavanshi.

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 9, 2020)

“When I became a mum, my first thought was that I just could not fail. I knew that this was one test I was going to ace… as this really was a question of life and wasted life,” says actor Kajol.

The actor believes that her kids (daughter Nysa, 16, and son Yug, 9) have positively impacted her as a person and as an actor. “My children make me want to be a better person and sometimes a more fun one. Being a mum added a lot to who I was, and it has only made me a better actor,” she says.

The 45-year-old, in her signature candour, shares why her children have not watched many of her films. “Both my kids love to watch films but haven’t seen many of mine. Firstly, because I haven’t made that many, and secondly, according to them, I cry too much and I make them cry too,” she says.

Ask her about her bond with her mother, veteran actor Tanuja, and she says, “My mum and I always had the best relationship, and it has only gone from strength to strength. We don’t discuss whether I should do a film or not. It has always been my decision from the age I was 16. My mum gave me a lot of advice, and I didn’t listen to any of it till I reached a problem. And then her advice would ring in my ears and I knew what the right thing to do was.”

Sharing a message ahead of Mother’s Day, Kajol says, “The one thing that your children will remember forever is how you loved them. All the scolding, the feeding and the care will be forgotten. So, don’t forget to make them feel loved every single day.”

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; April 25, 2020)

Ajay Devgn has been using his social media handles to interact with people and keep conversations going about the challenges that come with the ongoing pandemic. Fear has gripped us all, and while we sit cooped up at home during the nationwide Coronavirus lockdown, there are many artistes, including some of our own celebrities, who are trying to instill hope and positivity among people. Today, Ajay has launched a special song titled Thahar Ja, which speaks about the need to not just stay at home, but to also stay happy and calm.

The song that features Ajay has been shot in his home by him. It also marks the debut of his nine-year-old son, Yug Devgn, as his assistant director. Talking about how it all came together, Ajay says, “Anil (Verma) is our in-house writer and has written songs for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, too. He had written these lines, and I liked the idea. The song is more about mental health and happiness. Through the song, we are trying to explain to the common man that... you have been working all your life for your family, so now, for the sake of their safety, you have to stay at home. So, thahar ja apno ke liye.” He adds, “The common man needs to work and feed his family, but right now, everyone needs to calm down, stay safe and sane at home. That is really important.”

Ajay has also worked on the concept of the video for the song composed and sung by Mehul Vyas. “It was shot simply with whatever resources were available at home. Later, I sent it to the editor and told him what kind of shots I wanted in the video. Everyone, who was part of this, worked on it from their own homes. Given that I didn’t have a team to shoot it, I asked my son, Yug, if he wanted to be a part of it as my assistant director. When we shot it, all through the day he was working with me and running around the house. He was excited to see his name in the credits,” says the actor.

Ajay Devgn on 20 years of marriage, and why — and how — he hardly ever loses his cool
Raghuvendra Singh (TIMES LIFE; March 22, 2020)

How different is Kajol on the set and at home?
(Smiles) She’s the same person on the set and at home.

How would you describe your equation with Kajol through the years?
We’ve been married for 20 years. With time, your relationship matures. Your understanding of each other grows. Life eases out. She knows exactly what my habits are, what I’m seeking from life, just the way I know about her. We’re happy being with each other and giving space to each other as well. The balance comes with time gradually, which is good for a marriage.

How has Kajol changed through the years?
(Smiles) There’s no drastic change in her. She’s the same person she was. Earlier, people would say that Kajol says it the way it is. She does that even today. The only difference is that she has become more mature. She understands things better. She reacts in a better way.

Is there any particular value that appeals to you, and you want your children to imbibe it?
I spend a lot of time with my children. I want them to be true and honest to themselves. If they’re honest to themselves, they’ll be honest with us. I want them to respect others and themselves. I tell them that every day. That covers everything. If you respect yourself, you carry yourself with dignity. When you respect others, you uphold your culture. That’s the basic foundation.

Yug seems to be interested in photography. His clicks on your social media pages are interesting…
No, nothing like that. He’s way too young. He plays football, does parkour and indulges in photography as well. Like any kid, he enjoys it all. When he grows older, he’ll be able to decide what he wants to do.

What about Nysa?
She’s in the eleventh class. She has a lot of options to choose from. Children should be allowed to pursue what they like. But we do discuss what’s good for them. The final call is theirs. If you study something, you should be able to enjoy the process. If you force something upon children, they will neither enjoy it nor succeed.

In an industry thriving on PR, you don’t seem desperate for attention.
I’m like this only. I believe once you’ve done your job, you should shut up. People have ears, eyes, mouth… They can understand everything. It’s their job to talk, not yours. Touchwood! People meet me with respect. I feel happy about it. You gain nothing by shouting from the rooftops. Whatever you achieve is temporary. And I don’t believe in temporary things. They never last.

Can we get to know the real Ajay Devgn from your social media handle?
(Smiles) You won’t be able to know. I only comment on what needs to be commented upon on social media. But it’s always the truth. For instance, during elections, I urge people to vote. I wish all on Diwali. If a tragedy is disturbing, I write about it. Jo dil se nikalta hai, woh bol deta hoon. At times, there’s pressure to post something... but I don’t give in to that pressure. Sometimes my team asks me to post something because I haven’t in a while. But I don’t do it just for the sake of it. What I have worn today or what colour I like, why should I post about that?

You are known to be a prankster. We never see that side of you on social media?
Yaar, we all have our personal lives. We do masti mazaak with people we’re comfortable with. Recently, on Diwali my entire family was together. So I clicked a picture and shared it spontaneously. But if you have to post something every day then that’s succumbing to pressure. That’s also a kind of promotion. If you post anything, there always will be positive and negative reactions. If I write something genuinely and it invites a negative reaction, I know that I believe in what I wrote. I stick to that.

How do you keep yourself away from negativity?
I don’t pay attention to it. I don’t bother about it. If I read something unsavoury about myself, I don’t pick up the phone and ask my publicist to look into it. Sometimes, he comes and tells me, ‘Sir yeh chhapa hai.’ I say, ‘Yes I read it.’ The topic is over. In real life, I cut off from a negative person. If I’m working with such a person, then I keep it to the point. Na baat karne ki zaroorat hai aur na jhagda karne ki.

Your father, Veeru ji (Devgn), passed away recently. What do you miss about him?
Yaad toh aati hai. Every day, some moment or the other reminds me of him… more so when I go to his room. Few days ago we had a pooja at home. I miss the usual things he did or said. There’s a picture of him in my office. The moment I enter, I see his frame. Dad couldn’t see the new office. It became operational after his demise.

Apparently, you are soon reuniting with Sanjay Leela Bhansali…
It’s too early to talk about it. We’re in talks but let’s see what happens. It’s like asking someone, are you married. No? Okay, how many children do you have? (Laughs) Bhai shaadi toh ho jaane do pehle. Let’s lock that first.

If you had to remake one of your films, which one it would be?
It would be my first film, Phool Aur Kaante (1991). I’ve thought of a new way of presenting it. I will co-produce it with someone. I’m looking for a fresh face for that. The approach will be different but the emotional texture will be retained.

The actress reveals a hack that came in handy during her wedding with Ajay Devgn in February 1999
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 6, 2020)

Tricking the prying eyes of the city may seem difficult but Kajol makes it look like cakewalk. On her recent turn on The Kapil Sharma Show, the actress revealed that she fooled reporters to stop them from reaching the venue of her wedding with Ajay Devgn on February 24, 1999. With a twinkle in her eye, the actress relayed, “If I didn’t disclose the venue, they would have dug out the information from somewhere else. I thought I’d give them a wrong address so they would stop looking for it.”

When asked if the rumours, that she forayed into acting only because her mother signed her first two films on her behalf, were true, Kajol shrugged it off. “It’s completely false and baseless. My mother is very supportive and has always guided me in the right direction.”

The actress went on to reveal, that apart from acting, she can also knit. “I love knitting stuff for my family, especially the crochet knit. I had made blankets and T-shirts for my children Nysa and Yug in their childhood. I have also made two t-shirts for Ajay and a long jacket for my sister (Tanisha) as well,” she informed, adding she still picks up the needle whenever she has the time.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 4, 2020)

There are times when the parent-child relationship witnesses a role reversal, and parents end up learning a lot from their children. Kajol, who plays Savitribai Malusare in the upcoming film, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, elaborated on the same. Speaking of her children Nysa and Yug, she said, “They teach me so much. The way they look at life, treat people, handle things, it’s so inspiring. They are brutally frank and perceptive about situations and relationships. I would like to believe that I am more mature than them, but sometimes, they make me realise how immature I can be.”

Like every parent, she, too, has disagreements with her kids. Kajol added, “We do have our share of arguments. I once fired Nysa for not sitting at the table with us. She said that she didn’t feel like it. I got angry and screamed, ‘You need to spend more time with us, how can you not feel like it?’ I went on and on. After a few minutes, my son Yug, who was sitting on my lap, told me, ‘Mom, you shouldn’t fire Nysa for telling you the truth’. It hit me hard. He is just eight years old! He added, ‘I lie to you sometimes when you ask me to come and sit on your lap. I don’t want to, but I come anyway because I fear you will feel bad. She is telling you the truth and you shouldn’t fire her for that.’ I didn’t know where to look. I apologised to her later. As parents, we sometimes force our kids to do certain things like meeting relatives and talking to us. How else will they connect to their roots and family? But what Yug said got me thinking. It made me reevaluate myself as a mother and question my ideologies.”

On a lighter note, we also asked Kajol what her young daughter thinks about her Instagram game. In her trademark candid demeanour, the actress confessed, “Nysa thinks that my Instagram posts are weird. She asks me, ‘Who talks like that on Instagram?’ I tell her, I am real at least. I don't even try to use the millennial language and hashtags. That’s really pushing it.”

Kajol on why she’d rather stick to home banner and self-worth in the age of ‘strange definitions of a strong woman’
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 24, 2019)

There’s a sense of deja-vu in seeing Kajol grin, as she lets you into a sun-lit suite of a suburban five-star, inviting you to “make yourself comfortable”. Any minute now, you expect her to spring a, “Would you like some tea and something to go with it?” in the British accent of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’s expat heroine, or remind you to chug, “Juice, juice” as the college-going tomboy from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. It’s not difficult to see that there’s been a bit of Kajol in every character she has played—from the rebellious Simran of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to an overprotective mother in Helicopter Eela.

Settling in for a chat, Kajol underlines that her upcoming film, actorhusband Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which is the story of an underdog, features characters with clear personality traits. “Saif (Ali Khan, co-star) is all-black (negative); you won’t see him saving a sparrow in the end to convey that he has some good within him. Tanaji and Savitri are all-white. No one is grey,” she laughs, and is refreshingly upfront about her role, in that it “isn’t very big”.

The actress is quick to add that her role is relevant to the story. “Savitribai is a loyalist and there’s a wonderful strength to her character. In today’s time, our definition of a strong woman is strange. You have to be a working woman as well as an efficient homemaker and if you are only one of the two, there’s a certain way you are looked at, even by other women. There’s immense strength in being who you are and realising your relevance,” Kajol asserts.

Is that why she does only a handful of films now? “It isn’t every day that the right director, producer and script come together. So, I’d rather sit at home and spend time with my children. I have great kids, they are cool and have a fabulous sense of humour,” the actress says with unabashed maternal pride. When asked if she would be game to attempt an all-black character again, pat comes the reply, “I’d love to do something like a Maleficent.”

Point out that Ajay had recently revealed that the film’s team is planning a franchise on other unsung warriors from India and Kajol says, “We want to mine more stories of those who fought like maniacs for their motherland,” but would personally rather stay in the fiction zone. “I am a fiction reader; nothing real lives up to that.” And what about screen adaptations of books? “If it is about adapting a book for the screen, often, it doesn’t translate well, unless you take a lot of cinematic liberties,” she argues, adding that there are some “fabulous thrillers” that would make great scripts, but she won’t name them for fear of jinxing. “I read all the time now. E-books are the best thing to happen to mankind. Back in the day, every time I went to London, I’d lug back stacks of books, squeezing them into my suitcase, hand bag and knapsack to avoid shelling out a fortune on charges.”

There was buzz that she is set to launch her own production house but Kajol shoots it down. “I am not producer material at all; it requires a strong stomach lining to deal with all the ulcers that come with the job,” she laughs, adding that she always has her husband’s company to produce films with.

With Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the husband-wife duo reunites on screen 12 years after their last outing, U Me Aur Hum, but the actress insists that nothing has changed between then and now. “Even when Ajay is acting with me in a scene, he watches me like a director. If he is not happy with a shot, he will give me inputs and ask me to go for a second take. I appreciate his keen eye,” she gushes.

Speaking of aesthetics, their nine-year-old son, Yug, is gaining quite the reputation as a shutterbug, as evidenced by Kajol’s Instagram feed. “We are constantly negotiating. When I dress up, I ask him to take a pic and he says, ‘I’ll click only one, haan,’ and I’ll request him to click at least three after which he will reluctantly oblige. But those three clicks are fantastic. I am amazed at the perfect frames. By the time he was seven, he understood picture composition,” the actress raves.

Turns out, the young aesthete is not too pleased with his actress-mom’s look in the film. “Yugi made a face, saying, ‘I don’t like you in these clothes. Change! You don’t look like my mother’,” she chuckles. However, her mother, veteran actress Tanuja, couldn’t help but draw parallels between Kajol as Savitribai and her great grandmother, the late actress Rattan Bai. “Even I was amazed to see how much I resembled her. Subconsciously, I remember my great grandmother, grandmother (Shobhana Samarth) and mother wearing nauvaris and decking up in traditional jewellery for weddings. When I draped the nine yards, there was a different person staring back at me in the mirror. I felt an amazing sense of connect with my ancestors,” Kajol says.

Joining Yug in his disapproval of his mother’s taste is his elder sister, Nysa. “She thinks I have the worst Instagram account on earth. She will go, ‘Mom, you don’t know how to caption. Nobody talks like this!’ All I say is that it’s me and not someone posing to be me. At least I am laughing at my own jokes, baaki ke log hase na hase, kya fark padta hai. I know me, I have to keep it fun because if I get sick of it, you’ll see a post declaring, ‘I am signing off social media’,” she concludes with her signature chuckle.

Nirali Kanabar (DNA; June 28, 2019)

The Devgns are off for a family vacation and the destination is only known to them. Ajay Devgn, Kajol and their kids — Nysa and Yug — are on a road trip to an unknown location and they are having a jolly good time while at it. Sharing a perfect family picture on her Instagram handle, Kajol wrote, “Grumbles, rumbles and potato chips... road trip. Finally.” Going by her caption, it seems that the Devgn family was planning a road trip for a long time and they managed it finally. In the picture, we can see Kajol dressed up in a blue jumpsuit whereas Ajay is twinning with his ladylove. As for Nysa, she can be seen rocking casuals like her brother Yug. However, it seems Yug was least interested in getting clicked while the rest of the family members were all smiles.

Before this road trip, the Devgn family had visited Thailand for a winter vacation. Nysa, who is pursuing her higher studies in Singapore, had joined her fam for the holiday. Meanwhile, last year at an event, Kajol had revealed that she is the Hitler mother at home whereas Ajay is the good cop. “I’m a Hitler mother... I’m a bad cop, Ajay’s a good cop... But the percentage of the good cop has dropped in him. He has realised that it is necessary to be a bad cop sometimes. That he can’t always look at the mother to say ‘no’. I’m 30 per cent bad cop, 70 per cent good cop,” she had said. She had further added, “It’s a very much a hands-on job... You have to do an internship with a child... You have to know that you will make mistakes and that others will make mistakes. You’ll have to forgive them and yourself. It is one of the most rewarding jobs... To see your children growing up to become good human beings.”

Zee Media Newsroom

Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; May 14, 2019)

Ajay Devgn might be a man of few words, but he packs quite a punch with his straightforward replies, just the way he does with his brilliant performances on celluloid. In a recent chat with BT, he spoke about playing a 50-year-old in the upcoming romcom De De Pyaar De, the controversial Saif-Kareena reference in its trailer, how Kajol and he are different and yet so similar, and why he is not cut out for politics. Excerpts...

You recently turned 50, and De De Pyaar De (DDPD) will see you play a 50-year-old, who falls in love with a girl who is half his age. That’s interesting because in Bollywood or any other film industry in India, one usually sees heroes play much younger characters, except if they are doing some offbeat roles. What prompted you to take up this one?
I think that phase is over. Everybody knows that we are 50; we are still here and working. Times have changed. Viewers are accepting different kinds of films, which actors couldn’t do earlier — right from a film like Raid (2018) to many other movies, where age is not really the criterion. Today’s 50 is like yesterday’s 40 or even 35. We feel as fit as we felt 25 years ago. So, I don’t think that the age factor plays on the audience’s mind. And in any case, I would always like to play characters that suit me. In fact, I get uncomfortable if I have to play a 30-year-old. If you see my last few films, I have never tried to play characters that are very young. Also, who doesn’t know that I am 50 and my colleagues are either older or younger than me?

DDPD’s trailer had a mention of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan as one of the couples with an age gap, and that reference had made headlines. Have you spoken to Saif or Kareena after the trailer launched?
The writer had written the dialogue, mentioning George Clooney and some others. When I asked him why he hadn’t mentioned Saif-Kareena, he said that they intentionally didn’t do it because they would probably not like it. I said, ‘Why would they have a problem? We are friends’. So, I got that added and just before the trailer launched, I called Saif and told him, ‘See the trailer, I have spoken about you’. Saif watched it and he found it really funny.

You have a number of action and comedy hits to your credit. With DDPD, is there a conscious effort to experiment with something different?
I actually don’t know what experimenting is. I like to rotate genres, which I have been doing since the beginning. As I said, the audience has evolved. Many such out-of-the-box films are being made with the younger generation of actors portraying interesting roles. I started doing that in the ’90s with films like Govind Nihalani’s Thakshak (1999) and later, Rituparno Ghosh’s Raincoat (2004). It’s nothing new for me.

On the personal front, Kajol and you share a strong bond, but your personalities are very different. What’s the secret of your successful relationship?
Being different... I would say that’s what works. If we were similar, maybe things would not have been this way. She speaks a lot, I listen a lot. If both speak, then you know what can happen! We might be different in terms of our personalities, but the basics are the same; we have the same set of morals and ethics.

Both of you are working together in a film after a long time. What was it like working on Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior with her?
It was normal. Also, given that Tanhaji is a home production, everything felt like home.

What do your children Nysa and Yug think about the two of you coming back together on screen?
They don’t care. My son is too young, and my daughter is happy studying in Singapore. So, even she doesn’t care (laughs!).

You are known to be a doting father. How difficult does it get for you to shield your children from the current paparazzi culture and the attention they get on social media?
You feel uneasy and you want them to leave your kids alone. I have said this earlier too... it doesn’t really upset me, it just makes me unhappy.

The new-age kids are smart, savvy and well-informed. Are you like a friend to your children, so that you can relate to them better?
You need to be friends with your kids. In this day and age, you have to grow along with them. Otherwise, things can fall apart.

One question Kajol and you are often asked these days is if Nysa has films on her mind. Does she?
That would be her choice. Right now, she has zero interest in it.

Over the last few months, some of your colleagues have entered politics. Would you, too, consider politics some day in the future?
Not at all. Do I like look like the kind of person who can get into politics? I am an introvert and I don’t think I would be fit for it. If I take up a responsibility, I would want to give it my best. Yes, it is a great service to the country, but provided one can take up the responsibility and live up to it.

Coming back to DDPD,what appealed to you most about this film?
It has an interesting script. It’s not just a romcom, it’s got depth to it. When you see the film, you’ll know that... especially Tabu’s character. The film is funny and real. You see people with huge age gaps falling in love, an older guy falling in love with somebody much younger and vice-versa. How it is a taboo in our society, which should not be the case. The story is beautifully told with a good dose of humour.

Tabu plays your ex-wife in this film and the two of you have done a number of films together. What’s the kind of rapport that you share with her?
I don’t even know where to begin. We have been friends for more than 28 years, even before we joined films. If you see us together, you can sense that. We can talk about anything on earth, we can abuse each other, we can do what we want. It’s always been like that.

DNA (May 2, 2019)

Ajay Devgn was scheduled to take off from Singapore last night. The Total Dhamaal actor, who flew there soon after he cast his vote on Monday, has been frequenting the Mumbai-Singapore route almost every second weekend. By now, everyone knows that his daughter Nysa is enrolled for higher-studies in the island country.  And, Kajol, Ajay and Yug have made this global financial destination their second home.

The Bollywood superstar is excited that post Nysa’s exams, the 16-year-old will come to Mumbai for her summer break. Then sometime in June, he hopes to take time off his super-packed schedule to fly to a European destination of her choice.

Our source says, “The Devgns usually spend a month in London because all their common friends take their annual holidays together. However, this time around, the De De Pyaar De actor may settle for Italy and a couple of other European destinations because Nysa wants to tour the continent.”

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.