I AM PREPARED FOR PARALLELS TO BE DRAWN WITH DABANGG, BUT SALMAN’S WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CHARACTER. CHULBUL PANDEY WAS MORE OF A HAPPY GO LUCKY COP; I PLAY AN HONEST, SIMPLE GUY.
The RISE & RISE OF THE DESI
“An Action Hero Should Physically Look The Part Too”
He looks smouldering! And I am not just talking about his famed intensity. Adjectives like raw, hot, sexy mean machine… evoke a faint smile from him. Or was that a smirk? Push him for a comment and he reacts with almost a nonchalant, “I don’t know.” On the other side of 40s, but not looking a bit his age, Ajay Devgn admits to have outgrown his early embarrassment for such epithets.
Exactly 20 years ago, post Phool Aur Kaante, the take off buzz around him too had been about his ‘unique’ tall, dark and handsome manly looks, amongst a host of chocolate boys. And of course, his different style of action as he rode onto the big screen; legs akimbo on two speeding bikes! The film had introduced stylized action perhaps for the first time in Hindi cinema.
Once again, his looks, and the action in his forthcoming film Singham have become the industry talking point. Personally, at least for him, he assures, the kind of action on display in the film, is a first.
Any other actor in his place, especially with a body he now sports would have gone about town talking about the makeover, the processes, the sacrifices, the efforts into it. He limits his excitement to only giving his best to the photo shoot with just a casual suggestion about his most preferred picture to the photographer. The nature of these pictures, are a first for him too.
But Ajay plays down it all as an outcome of pushing the actor within for a more identifiable look with his new character. ‘One should look convincingly strong enough while bashing a hundred baddies,’ he feels. His, undoubtedly is the fittest body in tinsel town on the other side of 40s, today. That’s courtesy a habit, no obsession for packs – four, six or eight, he insists. If anything’s changed in the last 20 years, he jokes, “I guess I have turned more media savvy as I have got a viral fever and am still talking to you.”
The talk incidentally happened after a diligent follow up of over a week and some set visits, with the busy and edgy actor constantly postponing his interaction date. Ajay Devgn has always preferred his work to speak for himself, instead of his words. Quick and unrehearsed, his quotes are pithy, non-controversial and to the point; quite like his acts. Effective to the brief… Enjoy the excerpts.
What’s the secret behind this hot new look of yours?
I don’t really know what’s hot or not, I am just playing this character in Singham, and he required such a look. But when you are doing it for a character, as opposed to yourself you just work a little harder and I too did push myself a bit more. An action hero should physically look the part too. But this isn’t something I am doing for the first time. I have been working out for quite some time now, so this is not overnight. It was easy for me to hide all that in my last film Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji… as there I was well covered throughout the film.
The look for sure is going to get you tags like hot, raw, sexy… What does that do to your ego? Any narcissistic inclinations lurking out there?
No, not really. You can never figure out something like this in straight terms. Also, such obsession or tags can corrupt you. So for me, it’s all about just being honest to my work and not thinking about such things because if you start thinking on those lines then you are not being honest to your work.
Still, age definitely doesn’t seem to have caught up with you. Also, you can’t escape comparisons with your contemporary superstars. After Shah Rukh’s six packs, Aamir’s Ghajini biceps and Salman’s Dabangg look, your brawn and sinewy Singham will become the next talking point.
I think the most important thing for everybody is to be fit and strong. The cosmetic effect follows. I don’t really believe that one should work on things like six packs or stuff like that because you cannot maintain a six pack all the year round. Then you have to be on a very strict diet that actually weakens you. But if you are fit and strong the cosmetic effects, tags and buzz will follow any which way.
Every superstar has once in a while gone for the no holds barred brawns look. But they always look too polished, suave, urban… Yours remains distinct in the way that you can only carry a robust, rural appeal equally strongly. Is earthiness the edge of your brawn power?
Maybe looks do matter in this situation. Earthy characters too can look very well, though I would rather want to believe that I can carry off any character convincingly.
How different is Bajirao Singham from your other on screen cops?
Though I have played four to five cops earlier, I have never played a cop like this before. He is a very simple character who does everything from the heart. He thinks from the heart, takes actions from the heart; he basically is a very honest guy who doesn’t understand the politics of the society. He just does things according to the way he wants to.
How different will he be from the screen cops played by other actors? Parallels will be drawn with Salman’s Dabangg. Are you prepared?
Yes, I am prepared for parallels to be drawn with Dabangg, but Salman’s was a completely different character. Chulbul Pandey was more of a happy go lucky cop; I play an honest, simple guy.
And, I guess Aamir will have to face parallels with your Singham act, when he follows next with his cop act in Reema Kagti’s film.
I don’t know, but when you make three different films you have three different scripts altogether. Since the scripts are different, the characters are different and when the characters are different the comparisons shouldn’t happen. Comparisons would have made sense only if all of us would have been making the same script. But that’s not the case here.
However, given the deluge of cop acts at the moment, what do you think is the cause of this sudden attraction to play cops amongst most of our heroes?
Well, it’s not like we have been having too many cops for the last couple of years. There haven’t been many cop films in the recent past; at least I haven’t played one for long. Having said that, I think somewhere down the line, the uniform, which has some power attracts you. And it can be any kind of uniform, the cop, army or air force. Though I have played various characters, my cop act in Gangaajal is still appreciated. Even today whenever the cops meet me they talk about Gangaajal.
There were stories about you deliberately calling your character Bajirao Singham to irk Sanjay Leela Bhansali. And, because he didn’t part with his title of Bajirao, you and Rohit had to call your film, just Singham.
What rubbish, we are making films here. We are not spending rupees 50 or 60 crore on a film to just take potshots at people. We can do that directly also. So these things don’t make sense. What’s right for the film is done for the film. Bajirao is the name of a character. There are 20,000 characters in films whose names have been repeated. We could have named our film Bajirao too, but ethically we thought that since its Sanjay’s title, we didn’t want to name our film Bajirao. Bajirao also is a very strong Maharashtrian name. And since I am playing a Maharashtrian character that’s why we decided to call him Bajirao.
Singham talks about getting ‘raw, hardcore action’ back into Hindi cinema. Elaborate.
I think we have some fantastic action in the film. It’s really hardcore, it’s just not about flying or making fun of action, it’s well done and convincing because when you see Bajirao, you will really feel that the man on screen truly has the power to do it, the way he does it. The action is so fabulous that it just needs to be seen to be believed.
You brought style into action in Indian films with Phool Aur Kaante. Would you agree indigenous action has greater impact than choreographed Matrix like stunts?
No, it varies from script to script. The action in Singham too is choreographed and designed but it’s designed in a hardcore manner. Every action needs to be designed.
Do the dhishoom dhishoom kind of films work better for you? What’s your edge in action?
I haven’t done one such film for the last four-five years. My last film in the genre was Qayamat (2003), which was a big hit. Most of my action films have done very well and now I am doing one after a long time. People had been constantly saying that they want to see me in an action film. But the wait had to be worth it and I can assure you that the action in Singham is seriously worth the wait. And it also has got some superb drama, characters and great music. It’s a great package and I think this combination of good script with fantastic action always works.
Singham, after Salman’s Ready is the latest southern blockbuster to be remade. Do you think south films have a better pulse on the masala requirements of the masses than Hindi filmmakers?
No, I think, it can be true vice versa also. They too pick up our films, remake our films and buy our rights. Both the industries make a lot of films, out of which we only pick up and remake just one or two, so it’s a trade. We have always remade Hollywood films and now even they have started picking up our rights. Out of the entire lot, ek do jo achhi pictures hoti hai you tend to make them everywhere.
What specific changes have been made in the original film to suit a pan Indian audience?
South cinema action is high on blood and gore.
I think quite a few major changes have been made to the original script.
Like…
Well, I can’t tell you the story. But changes have been made in the story, the climax, in the treatment, basically every which way.
After your occasional bursts with art house cinema you now seem to have nearly abandoned it for more profiting mainstream fare. Is it because most of your art house experiments (Zakhm, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Hullabol, Omkara and Aakrosh) hadn’t really performed spectacularly at the box-office? What’s your take on this kind of totally divergent response of fans to different films of the same actor?
As far as the fans are concerned they just want entertainment. And where they think they will be entertained, they will go all out for it. However, Zakhm had done well. Gangaajal is also art house cinema, but it did well because it had a nice balance of entertainment and so called art house cinema sensibilities. That’s what you need to strike.
Which of your failed films do you in hindsight think could have been underrated?
None, I guess the audience doesn’t miss out on anything. If something is missing out in attracting them than that must have inherent flaws in it.
What’s the one thing that’s definitely changed for you on the other side of 40s?
I don’t know. I think nothing has changed.
Okay, who do you think from your 90s group of superstars ruling today (Aamir, Salman,
Shah Rukh and Akshay Kumar) excluding you, has matured the most as an actor?
I really can’t compare any of us. I can’t do what someone else can and they can’t do all that which I do, equally well. So everybody’s good in their own genres. We all started 20 years ago and we are still very strong at the box-office. I think the rest need to come up and prove themselves, they are all doing well, but I think experience counts.
Who from the new generation do you see in your kind of space?
All are good, but I like Ranbir very much.
Singham introduces one of south cinema’s most successful newcomer actresses, Kajal of Magadheera fame. Do you see in her the potential to become the next Sonakshi Sinha?
I wouldn’t want her to be compared to anybody. I just hope that people like her as she’s done a good job and everything can be taken forward from there.
Post Singham, you once again have a series of comedies Bol Bachchan, Rascals… coming up. Which is the space you enjoy the most to be in as an actor – comedy, drama or action?
Actually not any one genre in particular; they all have to come one after the other. If I do two comedies together, then I am not going to enjoy the second one. I need to take a break and do different kinds of films and then when I return to the same genre I enjoy it again.
Rohit Shetty seems to have monopolized you creatively. You have two more films with him after Singham. Is his, your most satisfying actor-director partnership to date?
I think we have been fairly very successful together. I just feel that since this is working so well, it should just keep going on.
Yours was the most successful and busiest year at the box-office vis-à-vis all other stars last year. Yet, somehow all the year-end analysis comments talked about other, one film actors as 2010’s biggest stars or successes. All the popular awards too gave you a miss in spite of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai being high on their nominations. Why?
That’s simply because I don’t attend these award shows. You see they have to give awards to people who attend their shows because then they have to sell their award show to television. The television channels need actors, stars… so it’s not a problem; it’s part of the business. Nobody’s giving awards because they are very sensible people who are thinking about awarding a guy who’s doing great work or making a big contribution to the industry. That intention is just not there. The intention is to make money. And in the business of awards giving, it’s a fair enough logic. Hence only those actors who attend award ceremonies will get the awards. That’s how it’s become and that’s the way sadly it will be.
Perhaps you could take a tip or two from Kajol on bettering your attendance record at award functions. She’s always a hot favourite with the awarding bodies. Her almost every film outing gets her an award.
Why should I take a tip from her? We are two different people; one likes to do certain things in a certain way, and the other likes to things in another way.
So you really don’t care about popular awards and will never attend them.
No, I won’t, because if I don’t believe in something then I can’t really care about it.
Motherhood has once again taken Kajol off films. Has anything changed for you post your second fatherhood?
No, not really, I just wish I could spend more time at home which I have not been able to. Also I just hope that I am better able to mange my time post Singham.
*By Piyush Roy
AJAY DEVGN
The RISE & RISE OF THE DESI
“An Action Hero Should Physically Look The Part Too”
He looks smouldering! And I am not just talking about his famed intensity. Adjectives like raw, hot, sexy mean machine… evoke a faint smile from him. Or was that a smirk? Push him for a comment and he reacts with almost a nonchalant, “I don’t know.” On the other side of 40s, but not looking a bit his age, Ajay Devgn admits to have outgrown his early embarrassment for such epithets.
Exactly 20 years ago, post Phool Aur Kaante, the take off buzz around him too had been about his ‘unique’ tall, dark and handsome manly looks, amongst a host of chocolate boys. And of course, his different style of action as he rode onto the big screen; legs akimbo on two speeding bikes! The film had introduced stylized action perhaps for the first time in Hindi cinema.
Once again, his looks, and the action in his forthcoming film Singham have become the industry talking point. Personally, at least for him, he assures, the kind of action on display in the film, is a first.
Any other actor in his place, especially with a body he now sports would have gone about town talking about the makeover, the processes, the sacrifices, the efforts into it. He limits his excitement to only giving his best to the photo shoot with just a casual suggestion about his most preferred picture to the photographer. The nature of these pictures, are a first for him too.
But Ajay plays down it all as an outcome of pushing the actor within for a more identifiable look with his new character. ‘One should look convincingly strong enough while bashing a hundred baddies,’ he feels. His, undoubtedly is the fittest body in tinsel town on the other side of 40s, today. That’s courtesy a habit, no obsession for packs – four, six or eight, he insists. If anything’s changed in the last 20 years, he jokes, “I guess I have turned more media savvy as I have got a viral fever and am still talking to you.”
The talk incidentally happened after a diligent follow up of over a week and some set visits, with the busy and edgy actor constantly postponing his interaction date. Ajay Devgn has always preferred his work to speak for himself, instead of his words. Quick and unrehearsed, his quotes are pithy, non-controversial and to the point; quite like his acts. Effective to the brief… Enjoy the excerpts.
What’s the secret behind this hot new look of yours?
I don’t really know what’s hot or not, I am just playing this character in Singham, and he required such a look. But when you are doing it for a character, as opposed to yourself you just work a little harder and I too did push myself a bit more. An action hero should physically look the part too. But this isn’t something I am doing for the first time. I have been working out for quite some time now, so this is not overnight. It was easy for me to hide all that in my last film Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji… as there I was well covered throughout the film.
The look for sure is going to get you tags like hot, raw, sexy… What does that do to your ego? Any narcissistic inclinations lurking out there?
No, not really. You can never figure out something like this in straight terms. Also, such obsession or tags can corrupt you. So for me, it’s all about just being honest to my work and not thinking about such things because if you start thinking on those lines then you are not being honest to your work.
Still, age definitely doesn’t seem to have caught up with you. Also, you can’t escape comparisons with your contemporary superstars. After Shah Rukh’s six packs, Aamir’s Ghajini biceps and Salman’s Dabangg look, your brawn and sinewy Singham will become the next talking point.
I think the most important thing for everybody is to be fit and strong. The cosmetic effect follows. I don’t really believe that one should work on things like six packs or stuff like that because you cannot maintain a six pack all the year round. Then you have to be on a very strict diet that actually weakens you. But if you are fit and strong the cosmetic effects, tags and buzz will follow any which way.
Every superstar has once in a while gone for the no holds barred brawns look. But they always look too polished, suave, urban… Yours remains distinct in the way that you can only carry a robust, rural appeal equally strongly. Is earthiness the edge of your brawn power?
Maybe looks do matter in this situation. Earthy characters too can look very well, though I would rather want to believe that I can carry off any character convincingly.
How different is Bajirao Singham from your other on screen cops?
Though I have played four to five cops earlier, I have never played a cop like this before. He is a very simple character who does everything from the heart. He thinks from the heart, takes actions from the heart; he basically is a very honest guy who doesn’t understand the politics of the society. He just does things according to the way he wants to.
How different will he be from the screen cops played by other actors? Parallels will be drawn with Salman’s Dabangg. Are you prepared?
Yes, I am prepared for parallels to be drawn with Dabangg, but Salman’s was a completely different character. Chulbul Pandey was more of a happy go lucky cop; I play an honest, simple guy.
And, I guess Aamir will have to face parallels with your Singham act, when he follows next with his cop act in Reema Kagti’s film.
I don’t know, but when you make three different films you have three different scripts altogether. Since the scripts are different, the characters are different and when the characters are different the comparisons shouldn’t happen. Comparisons would have made sense only if all of us would have been making the same script. But that’s not the case here.
However, given the deluge of cop acts at the moment, what do you think is the cause of this sudden attraction to play cops amongst most of our heroes?
Well, it’s not like we have been having too many cops for the last couple of years. There haven’t been many cop films in the recent past; at least I haven’t played one for long. Having said that, I think somewhere down the line, the uniform, which has some power attracts you. And it can be any kind of uniform, the cop, army or air force. Though I have played various characters, my cop act in Gangaajal is still appreciated. Even today whenever the cops meet me they talk about Gangaajal.
There were stories about you deliberately calling your character Bajirao Singham to irk Sanjay Leela Bhansali. And, because he didn’t part with his title of Bajirao, you and Rohit had to call your film, just Singham.
What rubbish, we are making films here. We are not spending rupees 50 or 60 crore on a film to just take potshots at people. We can do that directly also. So these things don’t make sense. What’s right for the film is done for the film. Bajirao is the name of a character. There are 20,000 characters in films whose names have been repeated. We could have named our film Bajirao too, but ethically we thought that since its Sanjay’s title, we didn’t want to name our film Bajirao. Bajirao also is a very strong Maharashtrian name. And since I am playing a Maharashtrian character that’s why we decided to call him Bajirao.
Singham talks about getting ‘raw, hardcore action’ back into Hindi cinema. Elaborate.
I think we have some fantastic action in the film. It’s really hardcore, it’s just not about flying or making fun of action, it’s well done and convincing because when you see Bajirao, you will really feel that the man on screen truly has the power to do it, the way he does it. The action is so fabulous that it just needs to be seen to be believed.
You brought style into action in Indian films with Phool Aur Kaante. Would you agree indigenous action has greater impact than choreographed Matrix like stunts?
No, it varies from script to script. The action in Singham too is choreographed and designed but it’s designed in a hardcore manner. Every action needs to be designed.
Do the dhishoom dhishoom kind of films work better for you? What’s your edge in action?
I haven’t done one such film for the last four-five years. My last film in the genre was Qayamat (2003), which was a big hit. Most of my action films have done very well and now I am doing one after a long time. People had been constantly saying that they want to see me in an action film. But the wait had to be worth it and I can assure you that the action in Singham is seriously worth the wait. And it also has got some superb drama, characters and great music. It’s a great package and I think this combination of good script with fantastic action always works.
Singham, after Salman’s Ready is the latest southern blockbuster to be remade. Do you think south films have a better pulse on the masala requirements of the masses than Hindi filmmakers?
No, I think, it can be true vice versa also. They too pick up our films, remake our films and buy our rights. Both the industries make a lot of films, out of which we only pick up and remake just one or two, so it’s a trade. We have always remade Hollywood films and now even they have started picking up our rights. Out of the entire lot, ek do jo achhi pictures hoti hai you tend to make them everywhere.
What specific changes have been made in the original film to suit a pan Indian audience?
South cinema action is high on blood and gore.
I think quite a few major changes have been made to the original script.
Like…
Well, I can’t tell you the story. But changes have been made in the story, the climax, in the treatment, basically every which way.
After your occasional bursts with art house cinema you now seem to have nearly abandoned it for more profiting mainstream fare. Is it because most of your art house experiments (Zakhm, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Hullabol, Omkara and Aakrosh) hadn’t really performed spectacularly at the box-office? What’s your take on this kind of totally divergent response of fans to different films of the same actor?
As far as the fans are concerned they just want entertainment. And where they think they will be entertained, they will go all out for it. However, Zakhm had done well. Gangaajal is also art house cinema, but it did well because it had a nice balance of entertainment and so called art house cinema sensibilities. That’s what you need to strike.
Which of your failed films do you in hindsight think could have been underrated?
None, I guess the audience doesn’t miss out on anything. If something is missing out in attracting them than that must have inherent flaws in it.
What’s the one thing that’s definitely changed for you on the other side of 40s?
I don’t know. I think nothing has changed.
Okay, who do you think from your 90s group of superstars ruling today (Aamir, Salman,
Shah Rukh and Akshay Kumar) excluding you, has matured the most as an actor?
I really can’t compare any of us. I can’t do what someone else can and they can’t do all that which I do, equally well. So everybody’s good in their own genres. We all started 20 years ago and we are still very strong at the box-office. I think the rest need to come up and prove themselves, they are all doing well, but I think experience counts.
Who from the new generation do you see in your kind of space?
All are good, but I like Ranbir very much.
Singham introduces one of south cinema’s most successful newcomer actresses, Kajal of Magadheera fame. Do you see in her the potential to become the next Sonakshi Sinha?
I wouldn’t want her to be compared to anybody. I just hope that people like her as she’s done a good job and everything can be taken forward from there.
Post Singham, you once again have a series of comedies Bol Bachchan, Rascals… coming up. Which is the space you enjoy the most to be in as an actor – comedy, drama or action?
Actually not any one genre in particular; they all have to come one after the other. If I do two comedies together, then I am not going to enjoy the second one. I need to take a break and do different kinds of films and then when I return to the same genre I enjoy it again.
Rohit Shetty seems to have monopolized you creatively. You have two more films with him after Singham. Is his, your most satisfying actor-director partnership to date?
I think we have been fairly very successful together. I just feel that since this is working so well, it should just keep going on.
Yours was the most successful and busiest year at the box-office vis-à-vis all other stars last year. Yet, somehow all the year-end analysis comments talked about other, one film actors as 2010’s biggest stars or successes. All the popular awards too gave you a miss in spite of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai being high on their nominations. Why?
That’s simply because I don’t attend these award shows. You see they have to give awards to people who attend their shows because then they have to sell their award show to television. The television channels need actors, stars… so it’s not a problem; it’s part of the business. Nobody’s giving awards because they are very sensible people who are thinking about awarding a guy who’s doing great work or making a big contribution to the industry. That intention is just not there. The intention is to make money. And in the business of awards giving, it’s a fair enough logic. Hence only those actors who attend award ceremonies will get the awards. That’s how it’s become and that’s the way sadly it will be.
Perhaps you could take a tip or two from Kajol on bettering your attendance record at award functions. She’s always a hot favourite with the awarding bodies. Her almost every film outing gets her an award.
Why should I take a tip from her? We are two different people; one likes to do certain things in a certain way, and the other likes to things in another way.
So you really don’t care about popular awards and will never attend them.
No, I won’t, because if I don’t believe in something then I can’t really care about it.
Motherhood has once again taken Kajol off films. Has anything changed for you post your second fatherhood?
No, not really, I just wish I could spend more time at home which I have not been able to. Also I just hope that I am better able to mange my time post Singham.
*By Piyush Roy
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