Star For All Seasons

In a year when the industry produced more misses than hits, Ajay Devgn’s hold on the box office proves the power of his enduring stardom. But just what is it that makes him click? He has some thoughts.

- ANKUR PATHAK

IT’S A QUIET, BREEZY evening in Juhu, the coastal suburb in Mumbai that’s home to some of the city’s most celebrated dwellers. While the Arabian Sea creates an illusion of calm outside, inside a suite at the JW Marriott actor Ajay Devgn is trying his best to quell the tantrums of his 12-year-old son, Yug, who’s having a bad day. Devgn doesn’t quite know what’s bothering the kid, who repeatedly hangs up the phone, only to call back again. “Can I please eat ramen?” Yug asks. Devgn cracks up, a sign that submission to this demand that’s masquerading as a request is inevitable. “Okay, but you gotta eat healthy for dinner.” The boy is happy. Devgn lights up another cigarette. “Let’s start.”

In a year that saw films clash with an unforgiving box office, Ajay Devgn had a prolific year and featured in three of the most successful films of last year: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Gangubai Kathiawadi, S.S. Rajamouli’s juggernaut RRR, and Abhishek Pathak’s `200-crore-plus hit, Drishyam 2. There was Runway 34 that he directed, which didn’t do too well, and Thank God, a straight-to-streaming release that opened to mixed reviews. Not to forget the Disney+ Hotstar series, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, an official remake of the Tom Ellis–starrer Lucifer. At a time when the notion of stardom itself is getting redefined, as the yardstick to measure it continues to evolve, Devgn has shown remarkable resilience as a bankable star who has never had to rely on a “comeback” film since he never really goes off-screen.