Ajay Devgn has already directed two films (U Me Aur Hum and Shivaay). While the world knows him as an intense, brooding (and occasionally comic) actor, very few know that his passion kickstarted from direction.
Ajay reveals, “It’s true. I wanted to become a director when I was young. I would direct short films and dramas in college. And then, I became an actor. But that germ has stayed the same.”
But we don’t see the director side of Ajay too often. It took him eight years to come up with his second directorial venture.
There’s a reason for that, Ajay explains. “I don’t want to make it a business. My first film as a director was a very small film. It was based on Alzheimer’s. It connected with the intelligent audiences because the others didn’t understand the meaning of it. It was about the relationship between the husband and wife. It was something different. Shivaay was about the father-daughter relationship and I created a simple story. It’s the emotion that one connects with. I won’t just make a film for the heck of it.”
Will the gap be lesser between his second and third film as a director? “Hopefully,” Ajay continues, “I got so occupied after U, Me Aur Hum that it took me time to come up with the second directorial venture. For Shivaay, I had to take a year off and it took me two-three years to plan it. I am planning Sons Of Sardaar: Battle of Sargarhi soon.”
Ajay reveals that he is currently working on the script of Sons of Sardaar and has still not “worked out the cast.” Like all his films, he will definitely play the lead in this one, too. But we ask him if he ever wants to direct another leading hero in a film and pat comes the reply, “I would love to direct someone else in a film. It becomes so easy. Doing two jobs (being the actor and the director) gets really tiring. I would love to just do what I want to do.”
Any particular favourites? He rues, “It all depends on the script. You can’t pick someone and say we should direct this one. You begin with an idea and then you think of someone who would suit the role. Then, we go ahead.”
