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Ajay Devgn @ 50: His golden unconquerable journey

Once tilted as the action hero of Bollywood, the nifty Ajay Devgn turns 50 on 2nd April. The actor turned director has proved his grit in every genre of Indian Cinema. Devgn’s aura is filled with a sense of mystery and broodiness which has worked beautifully in bringing out a lot of character to live on screen. His masculine and influential personality mixed with his expertise and charm works wonder on the silver screen. Often termed as the dark horse, he indeed is the metaphor of stallion in Indian cinema. His ease in association with every character he plays makes his acts influential and effortless.

Devgn has been awarded three Filmfare awards and two national awards. He is also the recipient of Dada Saheb Phalke Award and Padma Shri. On his golden birthday, BizAsiaLive.com takes the opportunity of reminiscing the career of this robust actor and unearths the best movies starring him.

‘Phool Aur Kaante’ (1991)
Devgn overmastered the Bollywood screen with his debut in this movie that has been racking up the blockbuster charts throughout. ‘Phool Aur Kaante’ is a romance drama film directed by Kuku Kohli. The movie featured some of the actor’s action stunts and won him the Filmfare male debut accolade and the title of the original stuntman of Bollywood.

‘Zakhm’ (1998)
This dram film directed by Mahesh Bhatt marked the first title of Devgn’s career. It earned him the National Film Award for the Best Actor. He accomplished to live beyond his action label matching the acts of passion and vulnerability. Critics claimed that it was Devgn’s eyes that did the entire talking in the film.

‘Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha’ (1998)
A very sweet remake of ‘French Kiss’ (1995), Devgn plays the role of Shekhar remarkably. The excellent chemistry between Devgn and Kajol made them a favourite love pair among Indian audience. Soon their on-screen attraction turned into a real life romance and they went ahead to marrying each other later that year. Devgn’s hook dialogue ‘Aisa Hi Hoon Main’ is very striking and amusing especially because he delivers it in a peculiar manner which syncs with his character brilliantly.

‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ (2002)
Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the movie remains as one of the most ambitious and memorable acts of Devgn. His interpretation of Bhagat Singh without being clamorous and unreal won hearts of the entire nation. Through his acting, the actor immortalised the life of the patriotic martyr. He quite deservingly went ahead to won a National Award for Best Actor for the second time.

‘Deewangee’ (2002)
He was immensely praised for his negative portrayal in ‘Deewangee’ which is loosely based on the plot of the Hollywood film ‘Primal fear’ (1996). Devgn gave a knockout performance in this thriller movie presenting a complicated part exceedingly well, carrying the film on his firm shoulders.

‘Raincoat’ (2004)
In this Rituparna Ghosh, Devgn catches the beat and pattern of everyday life very poignantly. With the faltered accent and convincing lies he made the entire audience heart cry out loud. Every inch of his character as Manoj brings out the essence of every common man in the nation thus making the character relatable to every being.

‘Omkara’ (2006)
Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Omkara’ is an adaption of ‘Othello’ by Shakespeare in the modern era. Devgn’s role as the protagonist ascends to new heights of sentiment. The infatuated lover, brutal and merciless gang leader, a man troubled by inferiority complex and the doubts thereof, Devgn lives very moment of his character stunningly. While there is seen-that sense to his role, but by the time the film is over, we realise just how unwavering solid was his portrayal.

‘Golmaal’ Series (2006, 2008, 2010, 2017)
One of the best comedy film series in Bollywood, it was refreshing to see him in light comic acts. Devgn has brought a sense of laugher, merry and magic to the ‘Golmaal’ series while providing the essence of entertainment and comedy to it.

‘Singham’ (2011)
A Rohit Shetty Film, this cop thriller-drama had Devgn engraved all over it. He was ferocious and super impactful as a police inspector in both the films. His role as a cop fighting the injustice of corruption bagged him the title of Dada Saheb Phalke Award for Best Actor. The movie made way into a sequel titles ‘Singham Returns’ (2014). The most recent movie, ‘Simmba’ (2018) is a fragment of the same franchise and Devgn’s cameo role in it is considered as one of the most goose bump worth commendable entry.

‘Drishyam’ (2015)
Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar is the fundamental force of the movie. His penetrating character and capability to convey profound emotions with flawless ease is what accessorizes the movie. He lives his character with the accurate distinction and underplay. The film is deeply layered duel between truths and lies. Devgn in this path of human suffering utters lies with perfection and every hurdles that he crosses is cheered upon, making the movie a hit.

Ajay Devgn has carved a niche place for himself in the film industry. He is an intense actor possessing a tranquil personality and has endured in the industry that’s all about glitziness and glamour. His calibre of fine acting is what has made him into a blockbuster star.

BizAsiaLive.com wishes this man of great integrity a very Happy 50th Birthday.

By Survi Agarwal