BUSINESS MEIN NO DOSTI

…Ajay Devgn says he will not do films out of friendships and emotions anymore

Having been in the industry for over 25 years, Ajay Devgn says his process of choosing a movie has become “more clear” today and he now goes forward with a project only if its script is good. Devgn thinks today the stakes have become too high for an actor to say yes to a film out of emotional reasons. “Earlier we would just listen to an idea and say ‘let’s do it’. Films were releasing left right and centre, we were doing 12 films at a time, so we did a lot of movies purely out of emotions and for relationships. The process of choosing a film has become more clear today. Now, it really means business. Stakes are too high, there is too many pressure,” Devgn says.

Though initially he did choose certain movies for the friendship’s sake, Devgn insists he never took on a film just to survive in the industry. “There was never a phase where I chose a film purely to survive as there was too much work. There has always been too much work and I’ve been lucky that ways. There was no need of ‘survival’. It was either you liked a script or you do it for friends and for the emotions.”

The 48-year-old National Award-winning actor says the change in selecting a film came about with time as the audience has evolved. “For me, it has become clear (to choose a film) not because of the external pressure, but because the audience has evolved a lot. You can’t ever judge the taste accurately, but you do have a barometer. I should enjoy doing a film, which is very important. Filmmaking isn’t just the process of a release, it is 100 days of shooting before that. If I don’t enjoy that, I will not be able to work.”

The Shivaay actor, who has teamed up with Milan Luthria for the fourth time in Baadshaho, says working with friends help a lot as they all are on the same page.

His latest period heist action thriller is directed by Milan, who has previously given hits such as, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, Chori Chori and Kachche Dhaage. Baadshaho

is scheduled to release on September 1.