Well known for his reticence in interviews and his marriage to Kajol, Ajay Devgan (who is now going by the name of Devgn) is less of a star and more of a serious actor. He spent the ‘90s stuck in a cycle of action films which, while entertaining, gave him little chance to do anything other than beat up bad guys and deliver condemning speeches. This ended sometime around the millennium, when he branched out into solid dramatic roles, romances and even comedies, proving that he had was it takes to be one of the best actors working in Bollywood today.
HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM (1999)
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is one of those epic love odysseys directed with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s typical eye for detail and scenery, but not for actual acting.
The story concerns the naïve Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) who falls for Sameer (Salman Khan) after he acts generally annoying – and farts. Alas, their love is put to the test when Nandini’s family send Sameer away and marry her off to Vanraj (Ajay Devgan), who, being the most understanding guy on earth, agrees to help Nandini search for Sameer in Italy and sacrifice his own love for her in order to make her happy. While Devgan appears in a few scenes during the first half, it is mostly dominated by Khan’s cringe worthy overacting and Rai’s beautiful but blank face. They have little connection, and it is hard to see why she is so distraught at losing him.
Devgan is a subtle actor, preferring the quiet and deep performance to ostentatious delivery, and Vanraj is a prime example of his type of romantic hero: sensitive, wounded and willing to be unhappy to secure the happiness of others. As Nandini begins to realise that, while showy gestures are all well and good, reliability and unselfishness are even better, so does the audience (with a sigh of relief). While not the timeless story that it wishes it was, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is entertaining enough, and well worth watching for those wanting to see Devgan in a softer role.
PHOOL AUR KAANTE (1991)
In 1991, Ajay Devgan won the Filmfare Best Male Debut award for this, a film where he is first seen doing the splits across two moving motorcycles. With fight scenes choreographed by his father, Veeru Devgan, Phool Aur Kaante is nothing incredibly special, but it is fun.
Serving at the beginning of a long list of similar action films, Phool Aur Kaante tells the story of a young man named Ajay who enjoys singing songs about a girl from his college, Pooja (Madhoo – her career didn’t really take off), and busting gangs for drug dealing in the locker rooms. He marries her, and they have a kid, but he discovers that his father is an underworld Don and, in order to save his family, he must take down some angry associates.
Typical of an early Devgan film, it is almost safe to say that, should you dislike this type of action formula, if you watch this one then you can skip over the rest of his pre-1998 back-catalogue. But for those with a taste for violent ‘90s Bollywood fare, this and his second film (Jigar, 1992) are solid watches.
LAJJA (2001)
Lajja is a film aimed at females, which deals specifically with women’s issues in India. Headlined by dependable actress Manisha Koirala, the film features a host of cameos, from Madhuri Dixit, Rekha and Mahima Chaudhary to Anil Kapoor, Danny Denzongpa and Ajay Devgan.
The film deals with adultery, abuse and rape, amongst other things, and it isn’t easy viewing. Clocking in at just over three hours it is difficult to watch, but, though patchy in places (especially the end), it’s still rewarding.
As expected, most of the standout performances come from the ladies (Madhuri especially), but Anil Kapoor does okay, and Ajay appears in the last act to deliver a memorable performance as Bulwa, a local dacoit looking for revenge.
CHORI CHORI (2003)
Suffering from a delayed release, Chori Chori is a remake of the Goldie Hawn/Steve Martin comedy HouseSitter (1992). Starring Rani Mukherji as Khushi, a mischievous, happy-go-lucky girl who moves into an unoccupied house belonging to Ranbir (Devgan), the film focuses more on the romance than its predecessor, though there are still some moments of slapstick.
Hampered by mostly mediocre songs and uninspiring cinematography, the film’s strength lies in its two leads and the sweetly believable chemistry between them. For those interested in seeing Ajay Devgan in a romantic role, Chori Chori, while less known than Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, is the best choice.
RAAJNEETI (2010)
An unbeatable ensemble cast, consisting of Ranbir Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal, Naseeruddin Shah, Katrina Kaif, Manoj Bajpaj and Ajay Devgan himself, Raajneeti is to the political film genre what The Godfather was to the Mafia genre: essentially an overlong, pretentious, yet brilliant soap opera.
Ajay Devgan plays the bastard son of the mother of an influential political family. Moody and intense, he is a cause of conflict for the other characters and does a good job in holding his own with some of the older, more distinguished actors.
Arjun Rampal, a model turned actor, normally only manages to provide eye candy but he is very good here, in a surprisingly menacing yet vulnerable performance. Raajneeti has no song sequences, and no splashes of colour brighten its sombre palette. Sex and violence abound, and there are no truly good characters. Well worth a watch or two.
HALLA BOL (2008)
Partly based on the murder of Jessica Lall (a runway model shot dead during a crowded party), Halla Bol tells the story of Sameer Khan (Devgan) a pastiche of various Bollywood superstars, who witnesses the murder of an aspiring actress during a party. He must then choose to either ignore what he has seen or speak out, at his own risk.
The film does explore the issues surrounding the case, but not very deeply. What Halla Bol offers, in truth, is a cautionary tale on the dangers of selling out to fame. Devgan apes actors like Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, poking slightly mean-spirited fun at their constant need to be the face of every brand, etc. While there are a few silly moments (one fight scene in particular) it is a solid effort, if not quite what you expected it to be.
Jessica Lall’s tragic story has since been told, with greater depth, in the Vidya Balan/Rani Mukherji film No One Killed Jessica (2011).
DEEWANGEE (2002)
The first half, in which Akshaye Khanna’s good-hearted lawyer, Raj Goyal, works hard to prevent the suspicious Tarang (Devgan) from being sent to prison for murder, at the behest of love interest Sargam (Urmila Matondkar), is mostly a remake of the Ed Norton vehicle Primal Fear (1996).
Devgan’s Tarang is a shy, stuttering, young man who Sargam insists would never say boo to a goose, let alone slaughter someone in cold blood. Raj soon discovers that, while not innocent, Tarang suffers from a severe case of split personality. He manages to get him acquitted by reason of insanity and, instead, sentenced to recover in a mental hospital. The second half, however, falls into a strange Phantom Of The Opera territory, as Tarang, who trained Sargam’s voice, becomes her composer and reveals his obsessive love for her. Despite this, the tone of the film does not come across as uneven.
Devgan is appropriately menacing and scary when evil, although never reaching the creepy heights of Shahrukh Khan in Darr. Deewangee is a good film in which to see his versatility as he plays one man pretending to be two.
COMPANY (2002)
Loosely based in fact, Company is a fictional look into into the seedy Mumbai underworld. Vivek Oberoi, in his film debut, stars as Chandu, a small time hoodlum who is inducted into the mafia organisation by the enigmatic Malik (Devgan). Together they rise to dizzy heights, until a misunderstanding between them causes a violent downfall.
Company is a well paced and compelling thriller with good performances from all. It is one of Devgan’s best roles, making full use of his intensity and, often cold, delivery. He dominates the film in the understated way that only he can, working well off of co-star Oberoi, who would go on to star alongside Devgan again in Masti (2004) and Omkara (2006).
Director Ram Gopal Varma is often very hit and miss, but Company is possibly his best work to date (his worst being RGV Ki Aag, an ill-advised and terrible remake of the classic Sholay, 1975, which also starred Devgan). Unmissable.
THAKSHAK (1999)
Thakshak is a surprising film. At a surface glance, it seems to be just another of Ajay Devgan’s ‘90s action films and nothing more. But, should you choose to watch it, you will find a film more akin to a Hong Kong gangster movie (think Andy Lau in As Tears Go By (1988) or A Moment Of Romance (1990)) sprinkled with a love story.
Tautly directed by Govind Nihalani and blessed with an A.R. Rahman soundtrack, Thakshak tells the story of Ishaan (Devgan), the reliable and controlled backup to the tempestuous and violent Sunny (Rahul Bose), both of whom are being groomed to take over the unlawful family business. Disenchanted with the world he knows, Ishaan falls in love with Suman (Tabu), a beautiful dancer who hates violence.
Visually enticing and often quite poetic, Thakshak is a gem amongst Devgan’s earlier work.
OMKARA (2006)
An adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello set in the political world of rural India, Omkara is often seen as the film that proved that Saif Ali Khan, in the role of Langda/Iago, could be so much more than a romantic hero, but his is not the only revelatory performance.
In this version, Devgan is Omkara, a half-caste leader of a political gang, who commits crimes for Bhaisaab (Naseeruddin Shah), a politician. When Bhaisaab ascends to power, he names Omkara as his successor who, in turn, appoints Kesu Firangi (Vivek Oberoi) as his successor. Twisted by jealousy, Langda works to implicate Kesu in adultery with Dolly (Kareena Kapoor), Omkara’s beautiful and fair fiancée, hoping to bring about Omkara’s downfall.
Director Vishal Bhardwaj previously took on Macbeth in Maqbool (2004), to great acclaim, but here he surpasses that triumph. Dialogue, music and visuals are all top notch, and the icing on the cake is the cast, where not one actor is out of place. Kareena Kapoor is heartbreaking as Dolly/Desdemona, cementing her place as one of the best working actresses, and proving her critics wrong. Vivek Oberoi (who would, unfortunately, suffer a career lag) is simultaneously charming and gullible, as a clueless fly in Langda’s web. It goes without saying that Saif Ali Khan is perfect; Langda is sneaky, bitter and manipulative and, with his shaved head and grimy appearance, he is almost unrecognisable.
The role of Othello is one almost tailor made for Ajay Devgan. Dark and brooding, he is Omkara, consumed by suspicion and slow-building rage; he is implicit in his own downfall. Tragic and moving, Omkara is not to be missed.
