The name Ajay Devgn needs no introduction. In the twenty-seven years he has been in this industry, he has established himself as one of the most revered actors and a top star, apart from being a filmmaker. In this interview, he talks about his new film ‘De De Pyaar De’, actors playing their age on-screen, association with Luv Ranjan, planning his next directorial venture and more.
The conflict that your character goes through in the film slightly reminds one of the situation your character was in, in ‘Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji’.
No, that film had a different situation altogether. ‘De De Pyaar De’ is not a love triangle. It is a humorous take on the equation shared by a young girl, an older man and his ex-wife. It is a very good relationship based film with a lot of comedy.
Akash, the character you play in the film, is as old as you are in the film. In most films, we see the top actors playing characters which are at least a decade younger to their own selves. Do you see a change taking place in this regard at this moment?
Yes, there has been a change. My contemporaries talk about their age very openly. I think it all depends on the character you are playing. In ‘Bharat’, Salman’s character spans across several decades. He is playing a twenty-something man and a seventy year old in the same film.
‘De De Pyaar De’ has been co-produced by Luv Ranjan. You are co-producing ‘Turram Khan’ with him and will be starring alongside Ranbir in his next directorial venture. You seem to share a very good professional rapport with him.
Yes, Luv and I get along well. He writes well. We have a similar mindset. He shared the script of ‘Turram Khan’ with him and asked me if I would like to produce it with him. It is a great script and I am happy to collaborate with a director like Hansal Mehta on the film. The film which he is directing with Ranbir and me will start early next year.
When do you plan to direct next?
I am trying to develop a script. If everything goes as planned, I will direct a film next year.
Would you be interested in doing an art-house film like ‘Raincoat’ at this juncture of your career?
I had a great time working on ‘Raincoat’ with Rituparno Ghosh. I have done a couple of other films in that space but I have not come across a script like that recently. If I get a great script, I would love to do a film like ‘Raincoat’ again.
Can we expect you to make a cameo as Singham in Rohit Shetty’s ‘Sooryavanshi’?
Yes, I will be making a cameo in the film. We hope to bring ‘Singham’, ‘Simmba’ and ‘Sooryavanshi’ in a three-hero super-cop film someday.
Kajol and you are coming back together on screen after a hiatus with ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’. What can we expect something from the film?
We do not know what to expect from the film (laughs). The idea was not to bring us together. We are just trying to make a good film. As the title suggests, the story revolves around Tanhaji and Kajol has an extended guest appearance in the film.
Ajay Devgn Ffilms is an established production house and NYVFXWAALA Studio is one of the leading VFX studios in the country. How do you plan to take these companies forward?
The companies are doing very well. We plan to start creating content for the digital space very soon. We have been acquiring single screen theatres for a while and will buy and renovate a few more in the near future.
