Ajay Devgn on Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan getting blockbuster welcome at box office: ‘After Drishyam 2, we need 3-4 superhit films’

He said, “After Drishyam 2 became a superhit, I would say, we need more three-four superhit films. Because after the pandemic things had slowed down and we needed to inculcate that habit among people to come to theatres to watch a film. So let’s keep our fingers crossed. I want every film to be a super duper hit.”

“Pathaan is releasing and whatever reports we are reading about the advance booking, it seems fantastic and I am very happy about it from the bottom of my heart. And I (want to) tell this to everyone that we all should be very happy about this,” Ajay added.

Ajay was then asked how he feels that RRR has entered the Oscars race. He said, “As I’ve said before, when a film works, the whole industry benefits. In the same way Rajamouli has taken the film internationally. Today we’re reading reports in papers on how James Cameron and others are talking (about the film).

“Through the film our industry is being recognised, which is a big thing and we feel proud. So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it gets as many nominations and awards as possible, it will be good for us.”

 

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Ajay was seen in a cameo in Rajamouli’s RRR along with Alia Bhatt, and the film’s lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan. The actor turned director then spoke about his experience as a director; Bholaa is his fourth directorial after 2008’s U Me Aur Hum, Shivaay (2016) and Runway 34 (2022).

On what are the things he emphasise as a filmmaker, Ajay said, “As a filmmaker, everyone wants to be sincere with their project. I wanted to focus on the whole film as a project, every aspect of the film. Filmmaking is about storytelling, so I wanted to concentrate on the storytelling, and everything fell into place.”

Ajay has been an actor for three decades. When asked who are his idols when it comes to filmmaking, he said that his career has been a learning journey and he has picked up what are the best and worst filmmaking practices from every filmmaker he has worked with, and think Rohit Shetty is one of the most hardworking directors he has ever worked with.

“I don’t think I can have one idol, I’ve done so much work through the years with so many different directors. I’ve worked with very commercial directors as well as non commercial directors. When I started my career, a mainstream actor had never worked in… it was called art cinema then. One film Tabu and I worked together called Thakshak (1999) with Govind ji (Nihalani), then makers like (Mahesh) Bhatt sahab, Ramu (Ram Gopal Verma), Prakash ji (Jha), like Rituparno Ghosh was, Mani Ratnam.

“I’ve learnt a lot from commercial films, and learnt how to keep honesty and reality intact via art films. Today these two have merged where the audience wants reliability and reality put into a big scale film. So bringing these two elements has been a big learning experience. Then I’ve also learnt what not to do in a film from a few directors. It’s been a learning journey, and I’ve learnt something from every director I’ve worked with. I have learnt how nobody is as hardworking as Rohit (Shetty),” he added.