"Ata majhi satakli re.” “Don’t angry me.” Different languages but impact couldn’t be more similar. Every single time Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar delivered their respective catch-phrases, before or after pounding the bad guys into a pulp, darkened cinema halls across the country erupted in thunderous applause and whistles. Young boys are now spouting these lines across the country.
When it comes to sheer bombastic muscle-bound insanity in Bollywood, no one has come even close to Salman Khan in recent years. But jostling for second place are Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn–the original action heroes of our generation. Last month, Akshay reclaimed his space in the action arena with 'Rowdy Rathore'. In the film, Akshay is an honest cop, Vikram Rathore, who is killed by a despotic ganglord of the village. Enter Vikram’s doppelganger Shiva, a rowdy crook who takes his place. Rowdy Rathore twirls his moustache and smashes the baddies into the ground. In between groin-shattering kicks, Rowdy is hung from a crane and leaps off an 11-storey building.
In last summer’s blockbuster 'Singham', Ajay played a super-heroic and upright cop with a heart of gold and a near-permanent scowl. He dispenses his own brand of justice, that included using his belt to wallop the living daylights out of the villain’s minions, or leaping in the air and landing a hard whack on the head of a local eve-teaser.
Action Replay
'Rowdy Rathore' and 'Singham' have a lot more in common than just loud action delivered along with louder dialogues. The two films had their leading man going back to theirs roots after a long gap. While Akshay got back into action mode after a seven-year gap, Ajay had last let his fists do the talking in Harry Baweja’s 'Qayamat: City Under Threat' in 2003.
The actors’ reason for staying away from the genre that first made them a darling of the masses is simple. “I was sick and tired of doing only action and stunts all the time. I had done action films non-stop for almost 14-15 years. 'Rowdy Rathore' was the perfect film to get back in action with,” explains 44-year-old Akshay. Ajay echoes Akshay when he says, “I moved out of action because it’s boring to be doing the same kind of films over-and-over again. I wanted to explore my craft and try new things. Action is my first love so I did not miss doing action films. Unfortunately, I wasn’t getting the right script. 'Singham' was fabulous because it was a complete entertainer with some amazing action sequences.”
Trade Talk
Both Ajay and Akshay are card-carrying members of the prestigious Rs 100-crore club. “'Singham' earned over Rs 100 crore at the box office and his 'Bol Bachchan' has crossed the Rs 60 crore figure though it’s early to say how much the film will finally collect. Akshay’s 'Rowdy Rathore' made Rs 140 crore and 'Housefull 2' that released earlier in the year made about Rs 125 crore,” says Komal Nahta, the editor of the trade magazine Film Information.
While Akshay takes home close to Rs 25 crore per project, Ajay’s remuneration is in the region of Rs 10-15 crore. “The money riding their future projects is very similar,” adds Nahta. Akshay has about Rs 250 crore riding on him with releases like 'Special 26', 'Khiladi 786' and 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2' while Ajay’s forthcoming releases, including 'Son of Sardaar' and the 'Himmatwala' remake, are pegged at Rs 200 crore.
So how do Akshay and Ajay stack up against each other? At the box office, Nahta reveals that
Akshay has a slight edge over Ajay. “Akshay’s films tend to open better and that two to three-day head-start that he gets helps overall collections. Also, Akshay’s films tend to have hit music and he is a much better dancer,” he says.
Mahesh Bhatt believes Ajay’s advantage is his acting skills. “I believe that all great performances are built on the bedrock of silence. Ajay has silence in his core,” he says, adding, “But it is not fair to compare the two because they are like apples and oranges. Both have a lot more to offer as actors.”
When it comes to their basic styles of action, director Milan Luthria maintains that there is a clear difference between the duo. “Akshay’s style is more supple and energetic. He is lithe, aggressive while Ajay’s USP in action sequences is that he seems laidback. What both actors bring to the table is intensity. Both of them have different body language but the resultant screen presence is phenomenal.”
Blast from the Past
1991 was an important year for both Akshay and Ajay. The debut films hit the silver screen within months of each other. While Ajay made his entry astride on two bikes in the superhit 'Phool Aur Kaante', Akshay didn’t have a dream start. His 'Saugandh' sank without a trace as did his next three releases, including 'Deedar' that co-starred Karisma Kapoor. The tide turned for Akshay on January 5, 1992 when 'Khiladi' hit theatres.
From 'Mohra' to 'Sabse Bada Khiladi', Akshay spent the better part of the nineties flirting with fire, jumping off cars, trains and buses and indulging in hand-to-hand combat with The Undertaker. By the end of the decade, Akshay had cemented his position as the quintessential Khiladi of our times.
Akshay’s training in martial arts put him ahead of his contemporaries in the action genre. “Before Akshay, Bollywood didn’t have a martial fighter like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chang. People loved to see him in action because his fights had the martial arts element,” says stunt director Tinu Verma. A regular in Sunny Deol action classics like 'Ghayal' and 'Ghatak', Verma worked with Akshay in films like 'Jaanwar' and 'Khakee'.
Ajay, on his part, did what he did best and doled out hits like 'Vijaypath', 'Jigar' and 'Diljale' after 'Phool Aur Kaante'. “Right from the start, Ajay did the kind of action that Bollywood had not seen before. In those days, the bathroom fight scene from 'Phool Aur Kaante' was considered to be one of the best ever. Only stuntmen did action like that before him,” recalls director Rohit Shetty, who was an assistant on the set of 'Phool Aur Kaante'.
Luthria directed some of Ajay’s most memorable stunt scenes in 'Kachche Dhaage'. “For one sequence, Ajay had to lie between the train and tracks. There was barely nine inches between him and stones on the track. But the time we finished shooting, his shirt was tattered and back was lacerated. And he didn’t complain at all,” Luthria remembers. In another scene, Devgn had to jump off a truck that explodes the next instant. “It was a really tough stunt,” recalls Verma, who choreographed the fight sequence, adding, “Ajay was supposed to be in air at the exact moment the truck explodes. I was handling the detonator switch myself because I was nervous. But Ajay was so cool and confident.” Verma picks this as one of the most satisfying stunt of his career.
What gave Ajay an edge over others was his understanding of action. He grew up wanting to follow his father Veeru Devgan’s famous footstep as a stuntman. “Ajay grew up around conversations about action sequences and seeing his father work on films like 'Shahenshah'. He started training quite young. I used to teach him horse-riding and fights on Juhu beach,” remembers Verma, who used to be Devgun Senior’s assistant in those days.
Completing the trifecta of the action in ’90s was Suniel Shetty. While Shetty’s pairing with Akshay in like 'Waqt Hamara Hai' and 'Mohra' was successful, Devgn and he made an equally lethal combination in films like 'Dilwale'. “Both Akshay and Ajay have perfect timing in terms of action. They also have great body language. But their style of action was different. Akshay relied very heavily on his martial arts training while Ajay was all about stunts,” explains Suniel.
Shifting Gears
While he tasted success with comedy in 'Ishq', Ajay was largely considered to be a limited actor with lots of brawn when Mahesh Bhatt signed him for his last directorial venture 'Zakhm'. “I remember, people thought I had gone mad,” he says. Set against the backdrop of the Mumbai riots, Bhatt’s semi-autobiographical film had Ajay play the illegitimate son of a single Muslim mother. Bhatt had earlier directed Ajay in 1995 cop drama 'Naajayaz'. “The film didn’t do great business but I noticed Ajay’s intensity. His confrontational scenes with Nasseruddin Shah in 'Naajayaz' were electric. Of course, the industry had dismissed him as a stunt actor. Also, he didn’t have the right looks to be considered an actor,” scoffs Bhatt. Two years later, when Bhatt started working on 'Zakhm', his only choice was Ajay. “Intensity was in his DNA. I thought it was very sad that such a fine actor was being limited because directors didn’t have the conviction to cast him. I could see that he wanted to do a lot more and test his limits as an actor but just wasn’t offered the right kind of roles.” What Ajay brought to the film made the industry and the audiences sit up and take notice. “Ajay carried the film with his silences. No one expected to see the kind of emotional core that he brought to the screen,” says Bhatt. Ajay walked away with the National Award for Best Actor that year.
Devgn’s post-'Zakhm' career includes films like 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Omkara', 'Company' and 'The Legend of Bhagat Singh' that earned him his second National Award for Best Actor in 2002. Prakash Jha, who has directed Ajay in four films in the last four years, has famously said: “Ajay will have a place in every film of mine that I will make from now till the end of my career.” Explaining why he is partial to the actor, Jha explains: “Ajay is a good actor, period. He understands the parameters of the character and delivers a pitch-perfect performance. The advantage of having him in scene is that he could just stand there and bring credibility to his character. He is also very professional which makes him a pleasure to work with.”
While Ajay was proving his acting chops in dramas, Akshay took the comic route. “Before 'Hera Pheri', I didn’t even think that I could do comedy,” says Ajay, giving credit to Priyadarshan and Neeraj Vohra for seeing the potential in him. “Hera Pheri was definitely a turning point in my career.” Akshay followed it up with monster hits like 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi', 'Welcome', 'Singh Is Kinng' and the 'Housefull 'series.
While it may seem like Akshay took to comedy like the proverbial fish, the actor insists it’s harder than action. “For an action scene, all I have to do is jump off a building or kick someone. Great camerawork can make the action scene look even better. But to make someone laugh is really tough. No amount of camera angles or music can cover-up an unfunny scene,” explains Akshay.
Filmmaker Sajid Khan, who has directed Akshay in three hit comedies, believes that it’s Akshay’s likeability that makes him a successful comic actor. “Akshay’s talent is on tap and you just need to flip the switch. He is such an accomplished actor that he can pull off an action, comedy and emotional scene in quick succession. Not only does he have perfect comic timing, he is brilliant with physical comedy and feeds off his fellow actors,”Khan explains.
Back To Action
After a substantial break from stunt-laden, action-packed films, Akshay returned in style with Rowdy Rathore. “In this film I had very different kind of action. I have been known for martial arts kind of action but, in Rowdy Rathore it was raw. It has street-style fights. It was new for me so I had a lot of fun doing it,” says Akshay. Prabhu Deva, who directed Akshay’s return to the dhishoom-dhishoom genre, can’t stop gushing about his leading man. “Akshay sir is more than just an action star. He is an all-around actor. In Rowdy Rathore, the fight sequences take the story forward. There is a very strong emotional angle to the film and it was very important that the audience connect to it. When Akshay sir delivers a dialogue, he makes it believable,” says the director.
Deva was equally floored by Akshay’s high energy levels and agility. “There is a scene were Akshay sir was supposed to jump from an 11-storey building. He was on a crane when I told him that he had to climb up the building because there was no elevator.” Deva was taken aback when Akshay told him that he didn’t want to climb stairs. What he did next resulted in Deva’s jaw hitting the floor. “Before I could say anything, he used Parkour techniques to climb the building without using the stairs. I couldn’t believe my eyes.” During the 40-day shooting schedule in Badami, Karnataka, Akshay shot four heavy-duty action sequences for the film. “It was really hot and they were all very demanding action sequences. At the end of each day, we would all be sapped but Akshay sir would want to play cricket,” Deva says with a laugh. After pack-up on most days, the cast and crew of Rowdy Rathore would get together for a Bollywood versus South cricket matches.
Ajay’s return to action in Singham was just as impressive. Shetty made Ajay revisit a stunt that he had perfected in his 20s. “There is a scene in the film where I had to jump in the air, lock a bad guy’s head between my legs and bring him down. This is a stunt that I had done with ease as a 20-year-old but when it came to doing it for Singham, I wasn’t very sure,” admits Ajay. Not one to give up easily, Ajay nailed the scene. “I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say that Ajay is as fit as he was when he did Phool Aur Kaante,” says Shetty.
Fitness First
No one is more impressed by Akshay and Ajay’s fitness than Suniel Shetty. “They are both looking so good and fit. Considering they are both in their early 40s, it’s a testament to their hard work in the gym. Both Ajay and Akshay have been doing action sequences for 20 years now. Beyond a point, the body just starts to give up. You need perseverance and dedication to carry on,” says Shetty.
So, which one of the two action heroes is fitter? “It has to be Akshay. He is the fittest actor in the business,” says Shetty. Verma adds, “Akshay leads a very healthy life. His core is very strong. He is not into this six- or eight-pack rubbish but he is the strongest actor around.” Akshay, who’s blessed with an athletic body, spends an hour -and-a-half in the gym every day ‘just playing around’. “I do everything from shadow boxing to yoga or parkour. I like to have control over every muscle in my body. It develops the core. It’s so good to do something every day that pumps your heart out of your chest and makes you feel alive,” he says.
While Ajay has always been fit, the actor wasn’t known for his physique. That was until the scene in Singham where he emerges from a lake, clad only in a red dhoti. As he walked in slo mo towards the camera, his six-pack still glistening, women everywhere let out loud sighs. “I think Ajay started working out seriously only about six or seven years ago. He now understands how important it is to look good,”
says Luthria.
Though Ajay joined the fitness brigade late, he has become fanatical about his gym sessions. “If I don’t work out for two days, I start feeling low and depressed. I work out for about 60 to 90 minutes a day. If I am pressed for time then I go for 45 minutes of high intensity work out. At 43, I lift more weights then I used to as a 20-year-old. So, I hope to be fitter than what I am today at 65,” says Ajay.
Face-Off
While Akshay and Ajay are constantly being pitted against each other at the box office, it’s been a while since the actors faced off against each other in a film. The last time they were seen in the same frame on the 70mm screen was Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Khakee in 2004. “There is a fight between them in the film. It was an equal fight that ended in a draw. Neither of them had any ego hassles,” recalls Santoshi. Verma, who choreographed the sequence, adds, “Neither of them came to me and said ‘give me more punches than the other guy’. They were equally matched. It is impossible to pick which one of them is a better action hero.”