Ajay Devgn on his daughter's style quotient and her Bollywood career, patching up with Karan Johar, and the future of Rohit Shetty's Marvel universe
Ajay Devgn
Ajay Devgn is a man of few words. While he is succinct and to-the-point off-screen, on it, he sets the screen afire be it comedy, dramedy or action. He has a chock-a-block schedule till next year with the period drama Tanaji, romantic-comedy De De Pyar De, Luv Ranjan's next also starring Ranbir Kapoor, Chanakya and a sports biopic directed by Badhai Ho director Amit Sharma.
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While it is exciting to see you in comedies like Total Dhamaal, why don't you take up films like a Badhai Ho or Andhadhun?
I am already doing those. My last movie was Raid (2018) - shot in one house with a budget smaller than Drishyam (2015). I am open to doing much more, but the script has to be solid. My choice of movies depends on the script, not the budget it is mounted on. People think, small budget films have better returns at the box office and the market for big budget entertainers is low, but then films like Golmaal Returns and Simmba come and sweep those theories away.
Nysa Devgn
You've tried your hand at every genre there is, but with the kind of content in the market today, what do you prefer?
As an actor, I can never pick any one genre. For those who think differently, I don't think they are complete actors. When a director approaches you with a script you don't accept or refuse it on the basis of the genre. Nor do we think which role is easy or challenging. Why would a serious movie be different from a comedy? A role can be as complicated as you make it. If I am doing a simple role, I try to incorporate nuances into it to make it layered.
With Rohit Shetty trying to create a Golmaal, Singham and Simmba universe, we hear in the next installation Ranveer Singh and you will have equal roles.
Nothing has been decided as yet. Not just Ranveer and me, even Akshay Kumar can be in the next installation, but that is way in the future as we are creating a cop world. As for Singham 3, the script hasn't been locked yet, so, I am a bit unclear which [Singham 3 or Golmaal 5] will come first.
Moving to the young starlet in your family - Nysa. She has become a fashionista with a huge fan following on Instagram.
I don't know much about her fan following, but why do you say that she's a fashionista? She is definitely well-attired because today's generation is like this. I think Nysa is classy in her dressing sense and has good taste. Nysa does her own thing and none of us, including Kajol, interfere.
Will you allow Nysa a have career in the film industry, if she opts for it?
I won't be able to stop her, but right now, she doesn't want to become an actor. Of course, tomorrow cannot be predicted. Nysa is just 15 years old and is busy with her tenth grade in Singapore. It's too early for her to be thinking about a career. We sent her to Singapore as it is one of the best schools and it's better for her there [without the constant media glare]. They [paparazzi] are everywhere and it is not fair, they don't even leave children alone.
But some star children are comfortable in the limelight today.
When I ask Nysa not to go somewhere because of the media, how do I respond when she tells me, 'papa all my friends are going there. Am I not supposed to go anywhere?' How can that be their life? We chose to be actors and are accepting of the media glare, but our children didn't sign up for it.
Burying the hatchet
The big tussle between Devgn and Karan Johar in 2016 over the clash of Shivaay and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is public knowledge. However, late last year, we hear the duo buried the hatchet. Some claim that Kajol brought the two together. But Devgn denies it and says, "Kajol wasn't a part of it [the patch up]. I am happy that Karan and I spoke and decided to sort out the issue like mature persons. We bumped into each other and decided to let bygones be bygones. I think it was good we did. One has to move on and we are all part of the same industry. A lot has been spoken about me attending the party at his home a few weeks ago, but it was Karan's party for the success of Simmba and he invited me, so, why shouldn't I go?"
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