‘Normal looking’ Ajay Devgn became successful as he did action on his own: Shakti Kapoor

It’s been 34 years since Ajay Devgn made one of the most unforgettable entries in Hindi cinema, balancing between two motorcycles in Phool Aur Kaante (1991). That moment not only turned heads but instantly made him a star. Over the decades, Ajay has only grown in stature and strength, both as an actor and more recently a filmmaker. The iconic stunt, him standing with one foot on each bike, has been revisited and reinvented multiple times in his career, becoming a signature of sorts. Most recently, in De De Pyaar De 2, he didn’t perform the act but playfully poked fun at it, a nod to how deeply it’s etched in pop culture.

No matter how much time has passed, or how closely one follows Hindi cinema, that one stunt remains synonymous with Ajay Devgn. Veteran actor Shakti Kapoor echoed this sentiment in an old interview given shortly after Phool Aur Kaante’s release. He explained that the film’s massive success wasn’t due to Ajay’s looks, which traditionally define a star, but because of the authenticity and intensity he brought to his action.

Shakti said, “A film was released recently, Phool Aur Kaante, where a normal-looking Ajay Devgn was the hero. But his action was so good, and he did all of it himself, that when those scenes played in theatres, people stood up and applauded. The film became such a huge success only because that boy performed all the action on his own. He was trained by his father, Mr. Veeru Devgn, who was a fight master and prepared him even before he became an actor.”

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Indeed, Ajay Devgn’s rise challenges the notion that good looks alone make a superstar. In an earlier exclusive conversation with SCREEN, he reflected on the hard work behind the fame: “There are two kinds of struggle. One is to become successful, and the other is to succeed and maintain that success. The road doesn’t end at success, it begins from there. You need to put in a lot of hard work, be very patient and careful. You need to be passionate about your work.”