The actor-turned-filmmaker revealed why his directing credits are few and adds that he hopes to helm a small film one day.
After 'U Me Aur Hum' (2008) and 'Shivaay' (2009), actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn's third directorial effort is 'Runway 34.' (2016). Despite the fact that he has appeared in a lot of films, his directorial outings have been few, and he credits the long intervals to being very choosy about them.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, he explains, “I always try to direct films that aren’t easy to make, technically, be it Shivaay or Runway 34. I like films that challenge me during its making. If there’s a story which inspires me so much that I feel like telling it myself, only then I direct it, otherwise there’s no point.”
Going ahead, the actor wants to direct smaller films too. “I don’t think I’m a brand,” Devgn says, adding, “There’s no game plan to direct different genres because there’s no fascination for any particular one. I would like to try different things. I would to direct a very small film too, someday. I think ‘Ajay Devgn’ doesn’t only mean big films.”
In addition to directing 'Runway 34,' he also stars in it as one of the main characters. When asked if the director and the actor in him had a falling out during filming, the 53-year-old says, “It happened very rarely. As an actor, I grasp a character depending on what I’m thinking as a director. So, it organically works in favour for the actor in me also.”
The fact that Devgn directed Amitabh Bachchan in the thriller adds to the significance of the film for him. However, Devgn claims that despite his notoriety and importance, he was never guided or given counsel.
“I’ve known him ever since I was a child. We’ve worked on many films, and we share a great rapport. I’ve an equation with him where I can tell him anything that I want to, and he doesn’t mind it. We’re very comfortable with each other. He inspires you to direct him,” he shares.
Devgn, who has been alongside Bachchan in films like as 'Major Saab' (1998), 'Khakee' (2004), and 'Satyagraha' (2013), says of his experience working with him, “He’s amazing. The kind of hard work he still puts in is incredible. He just loves his job. When he’s on a set, he forgets everything else. When he’s doing a shot, it changes the whole atmosphere on the set. We’re all very blessed to be working with him.”