JOIN USAlmost 25 years after his debut in Phool Aur Kaante, Ajay is still a hot commodity and he deserves every bit of his success, replete with huge blockbusters including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, Company, the Golmaal franchise, Singham and Bol Bachchan, and two national awards.
However, success does come with its share of controversies, and while Ajay’s image and branding have always been spotlessly clean, he has now found himself caught in the rivalry between his Diwali release Shivaay, a magnum opus he is also producing and directing, and the rival release, Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
Ajay denies that his film will have any advantage over its rival in the wake of the recent anti-Pakistan wave. “I do not think Karan’s film will suffer. Such things have happened before and yet movies have released,” he says. “People will watch both the films but the opening day collections will be affected more because both are pre-Diwali releases. Some people will like both, some will like either one, and by Monday, the picture will be clear and the better film will work more.” Ajay stresses that his problems with Karan have nothing to do with either the film or any other professional matter. “That is something I will never talk about. Even my wife Kajol and he are not on the same footing anymore,” he reveals.
We move on to his recent stand against Pakistani artistes, an unambiguously strong one unlike most of his fraternity members. Ajay prefers to downplay the ‘stand’ part. “In deciding not to work with Pakistani artistes, honestly, I am following the directive of the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association as I feel the same way too. I respect the Pakistani artistes because they are supporting their nation, and so should we. Right now, it is important for us, as a nation, to support the security officers who are fighting for us. We cannot separate our profession from the nation and talk about solutions through talks after someone slaps us repeatedly. What are we scared of anyway?”
In the director’s chair
We finally come around to discuss his new film and second directorial after U Me Aur Hum. Shivaay, he tells us, is an emotional and intense father-daughter story. Is it also dark like his debut directorial, U Me Aur Hum? “Not at all,” he replies. “Yes, U Me Aur Hum was dark. But it was a small, niche film and it did quite well with the ‘gentry’ and it tackled the issue of Alzheimer’s disease for the first time in a Hindi film. Shivaay has a big scale and a lot of action related to the drama and story. It touches a chord.” About the cast of the film, he says that the script needed foreigners (Erika Karr, Abigail Eames and more) and an Indian girl, a new face and much younger than him. Says the actor, “Sayyesshaa Saigal seemed very raw, but we saw a lot of potential, and she has groomed herself very well.”
Mention the buzz that the film is similar to the Hollywood film Taken and he smiles, “There are only 10 digits from zero to nine but different combinations make infinite numbers. There are so many ideas, but their treatment (screenplay) is what makes them all different. There are so many other films based on a father-daughter relationship, but they are all different from each other, right?” Ajay reiterates that the story resonated with him, but the execution is completely original.
“What really matters is the emotional thought behind it. I could have done this story as a family drama, or in some other way. I decided to direct because I thought that I alone should execute what I feel about the story. Take the action part for instance: action is in my blood, thanks to my father (stunt coordinator Veeru Devgan) and as an actor, I am known for it too. But since I wanted action to be a part of the drama here, I designed the sequences myself, and everyone, including my unit, has loved them!”
When it comes to the music of the movie, Ajay chose music composer Mithoon, who is known to compose just a song or two per film. Was it because he wanted a music director who could give him time? Shaking his head, the actor says, “Mithoon is very good at melody and he can deliver. I pushed him out of his comfort zone and once he opened up, he did a fabulous job. All the songs have been liked, especially the title song, which is so rich in energy, thanks to five completely different singers.”
Talking about the title of the movie, a name inspired by Lord Shiva, Ajay says, “Everything about Lord Shiva inspires me. There is a great connect at all levels. I find him very, very human, with imperfections just like us human beings. If you have been reading his stories, you will know that he is so simple that he can be fooled. He reacts without thinking like many of us, and in his anger, destroys things and then realises he made a mistake. My character in the film is also in that mould.”
Finally, as this is a father-daughter film, what does his daughter Nysa feel about Shivaay? “Oh, in a way she is my biggest critic, but she loved the trailer and the songs!” smiles Ajay.