Zero to hero

WHEN news first came that Ajay Devgan had won the National Award for best actor last Saturday, photographers rushed to capture the moment. D...

WHEN news first came that Ajay Devgan had won the National Award for best actor last Saturday, photographers rushed to capture the moment.

Devgan was shooting for Rajkumar Santoshi8217;s Khakee in a Mumbai suburban mill. Between all the back-slapping, they struggled to find one frame of the actor whooping for joy or even an ear-to-ear smile. No cheering, no champagne-popping, the Zen-like stillness in place, Devgan accepted congratulations for his second National Award for The Legend of Bhagat Singh.

From the boy born Vishal who dreamt of action when he came on the sets of his father, stunt director Veeru8217;s films, 34-year-old Devgan has travelled far. Literally from the moment he first rode into Bollywood screen in 1991, straddled on two motorbikes in Phool Aur Kaante. 8216;8216;I8217;m glad I8217;m doing these character-based roles,8217;8217; he8217;d told us recently. 8216;8216;I was getting so bored with work. So for the last three years, I8217;ve really tried to do different roles with the right directors.8217;8217;

This is the key that unlocked Devgan8217;s magical door. Sanjay Leela Bhansali8217;s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Ramgopal Varma8217;s Company and Bhoot, Santoshi8217;s Lajja, The Legend8230;and Khakee, Prakash Jha8217;s Gangaajal, J P Dutta8217;s f40Kargil LoC, Inder Kumar8217;s Khujlee, Mani Ratnam8217;s untitled film and in all probability, fellow National awardee Aparna Sen8217;s next one. Devgan8217;s roster seems to only grow.

When did Action Ajay transform into a brooding, methodical actor oozing sex appeal? His comic turn in Ishq and the conman role in Pyar To Hona Hi Tha with Kajol probably triggered it. But when he played the oh-so-angry illegitimate son in Zakhm, the National Awards jury sat up. Then he slipped into the self-conscious lover Vanraj in Hum Dil8230;; audiences sighed and fell in love.

Despite all the praise he attracted, Devgan remained a private person. When Kajol and he tied the knot, the ceremony at her house was closed to the press. A couple of pictures were released. No pictures yet of his three-month-old daughter Nysa. Devgan shrugs off praise and refuses to flaunt his achievements. 8216;8216;I don8217;t like screaming from the rooftops. I just concentrate more on my work.8217;8217;

He keeps an arm8217;s length from Kajol8217;s circle8212;Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra. His close friends include Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan and director Milan Luthria. Devgan also revels in his reputation as a notorious prankster, known to push people into pools during outdoor shoots.

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And though he won a couple of other awards this year, Devgan chose to give the functions a skip. 8216;8216;I think the National Award has its own credibility,8217;8217; he says. 8216;8216;I don8217;t attend award functions I don8217;t believe in. I have my opinion; some people haven8217;t received justice at these awards. But the National Award is decided by sensible people.8217;8217;

Triumph has also made Devgan more receptive to interviews. In the past, he did his best to slip out of them. Now he is still reticent but polite.

He may have been successful as an actor but one can8217;t say the same for his stint as producer. His Raju Chacha and Hindustan Ki Kasam slumped but he still has another production planned for next year.

And going by 2003, looks like the only way for Devgan is up.