Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Ajay Devgan the lucky mascot of the entertainment business

Ajay Devgan is the only A-lister in Bollywood who has remained super-successful throughout the pandemic. Tanhaji was the first bonafide hit of January 20. It starred Devgan who topped it with guest appearances in Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi and now Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. He did have a massive failure Bhuj The Pride Of   India last year, but it doesn’t take away from the shine of his dazzling track record.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali says the extended cameo of Karim Lala in Gangubai Kathiawadi required Devgan’s gravitas. “I needed an actor who immediate exudes a certain gravitas, a certain kind of dignity and strength. Ajay has all of this. The minute he walks into a scene, the film audiences are with him. Also, the fact that he hasn’t changed one bit over the years since I worked with him last in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam makes him a rarity. He still has the wonder habit of arriving one hour before shooting on the sets to get into character and to get familiar with his lines.”

Bhansali says Alia Bhatt was initially intimidated by Devgan. “But Ajay put her at ease in no time at all. He is a director’s delight and a considerate co-star. He guided her through the tough dramatic lines that they had together.” Up now on Disney-Hot star Devgan is Applause Entertainment’s gripping Rudra The Edge Of Darkness where he steps into the dark investigative domain of a murder mystery. Rudra is the Indian adaptation of the BBC series Luther in which the fantastic Idris Elba had played Devgan’s role.

Devgan says his character in Rudra The Edge Of Darkness is possibly the greyest character he has played. “This has been both challenging and inspiring for me. Playing a cop on screen is not new to me, but this time the character is more intense, complex and dark.”

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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