'YOU ALWAYS KNOW IF A FILM WILL WORL'

Actor Ajay Devgn, who will be seen as an IT officer in his next film, Raid, says it is unlikely that a good film will do badly at the boxoffice

A fter donning the uniform in several films such as Singham (2011), Gangaajal (2003), LOC Kargil (2003), among others, Ajay Devgn is back to playing an officer on screen in Raid, albeit without the uniform. The actor reveals that the best part of the film is that it is “very real” and that it isn’t over the top. In an interview, the actor talks about his upcoming film, his 27-year career and box-office clash.

What intrigued you to take up Raid?

The IT officer who did this in real life, did an amazing job. We heard the incident from the officer some three to four years back. We wanted to make a film back then, and he was okay with his story being told. However, it took us this time to write the screenplay. Holding the audience for two hours is a task and that took time. What happened in the ’80s and ’90s was scary ... especially in areas like Lucknow, where they found so many income tax officers murdered and their bodies thrown into gutters. Our film is not a thriller. It’s about honesty and how a person can risk his and his family’s life for what he believes in.

Last year was all about content and a lot of big budget films didn’t work at the boxoffice...

Tell me which good film hasn’t worked? Sometimes, bad films work but it is very difficult for good films to not work, unless something untoward has happened in the country at the time of the release.

Doesn’t boxoffice clash affect the film’s business?

That always affects business, but there is no choice. There are only 52 weeks in a year and there are so many films being made.

Is that why you recently said that you will not announce any release dates in advance henceforth?

That’s a creative decision. What happens is when we announce the release date and if we aren’t ready, then we are rushing to finish the film. Later, you regret that if you had time, this or that could have been done better. I don’t want to get into that at all.

After over 25 years in the industry, is it upsetting when a film doesn’t work?

You always have an idea if a film is going to work or not. I have always known and for me, it has never been a problem. So many times you listen to a script and you start shooting for it, and within four days you know that the film isn’t shaping up the way you thought. It happens.

PHOTO: JITU SAVLANI