Ajay Devgn: Hear him roar

Ajay Devgn is a man of few words. But during our recent chat over the phone, he confirmed his reluctance to open up is not arrogance.

"Don't get me wrong," he said. "I don't like speaking about my work or talking about my films."

Devgn's last film, the Mafia thriller Once Upon a Time In Mumbaai, dominated the recently concluded International Indian Film Academy Awards nominations list. Though his film got a dozen selection nods, the principal cast — barring actress Prachi Desai — was absent from the awards presentation ceremony in Toronto.

"I don't know about the rest of the cast, but I never attend award ceremonies because I don't believe in them. I am never ever going for one either," said Devgn categorically.

Since his stellar debut in the romantic film Phool Aur Kante (Flowers and Thorns) in 1991, Devgn, now 42, is one of the few actors who has consistently delivered hits and shuffled genres with ease. From doing the unthinkable by stealing the thunder from under Salman Khan's shapely nose in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (I've Given By Heart) to acting in brainless comedies such as the hit Golmaal (Confusion) series, he is one of the most bankable stars in the industry today.

Now he's back, muscles and all, with the action film Singham (Lion). "I have always wanted to do action roles and I have been getting mails and letters from everybody saying, ‘Though we liked you in comedy films, we would love to see you in action.' Ever since then, I have been looking for the right script. Qayamat [Disaster] was done eight years back... I have always wanted to mix genres."

In Singham, directed by Rohit Shetty of Golmaal fame, Devgn plays a self-righteous cop who takes on an underworld kingpin. But it's not your regular bloody gore-fest, claims the actor. "It's entertaining and will get your pulse racing. But we have taken care that the action is stylised raw sequences rather than showing bones cracking and bleeding body parts. The idea is not to shock the audience."

Six pack

Even if you do not hear bones crunching, there's one element that will keep you on your toes. For the first time ever, Devgn is shown proudly flaunting his newly-acquired rippling chest. He's surprisingly nonchalant about his six-pack abs.

"It's true I have been pumping and I have been pushing myself for the last few years to acquire a fit body. And for this film I have really pushed myself and am quite happy with the way things have turned out."

Though he made his big-screen debut with a dramatic stunt in which he balanced on two moving motorbikes, recent years have seen him take on far more mellow roles. Was the transition deliberate? "I have always tried never to repeat myself with roles," he said. "The last two decades have been a fabulous journey. And the best part is that I have done it all on my terms and conditions. I did Bollywood the way I wanted to and I did not succumb to anything."

True to his word, Devgn, who is married to the actress Kajol, is rarely seen hobnobbing with his fellow actors or navigating the party circuit. "I have never felt the need to, because my focus is on entertaining the audiences. They have been very kind towards me for the last 20 years."

Devgn may clam up at the slightest notice, but he is surprisingly far more open when speaking about being a father to two children. "I think fatherhood is a fabulous phase. I have always believed that you have to progress in life, be it having children, getting married or trying new roles."

No regrets

But it has not always been smooth sailing for Devgn. For instance, his decision to make and star in the animation flick Toonpur Ka Superhero (Toonpur's Superhero) didn't pan out as well as he expected.

"I don't have any regrets about it. I was happy to do it, because I knew it was the first animation film that was done on such a big scale [in Bollywood]. I am happy that I tried it."

Perhaps it's this attitude that has his on-screen lover Kajal Aggarwal waxing lyrical about him. "He was a wonderful co-star, and the best part about Ajay is his ability to be so down-to-earth and talented despite being so successful.

"It's magical watching him transform in front of the camera. One minute he is in a jovial, play a prank mood, but the moment the cameras are switched on he gets into the skin of the character. I will always take that away with me," Aggarwal said in an earlier interview.

The Punjabi-born star, who has acted in several award-winning South Indian films, makes her Bollywood debut in a lead role in this cop drama.

Devgn is equally confident about the newcomer. "Kajal brings a certain kind of freshness to the film — in spite of being a big star in the South, she brought a fresh feel to it. I want the audience to be surprised with Singham."

Beefed up!

Ajay Devgn is not the first Bollywood hero to hit the gym with a vengeance for a role. tabloid! takes a look at some of the other actors who have bulked up to look the part:

As far as buff-up goes, Khan was a late bloomer. At 42, he showed us that it's never too late to cultivate six-pack abs. Suffice to say, his song Dard-e-disco from the blockbuster Om Shanti Om in which he sports an unbuttoned transparent shirt was the perfect showcase for his newly developed muscles.

Reports claim that it took King Khan six months and a strict diet to achieve this look. He worked out four times a week and did 30-minute weight training sessions in order to tone his body.

He also gave up his favourite biryani and dug into grilled food during that phase.

Abraham always had the looks, but when he traipsed around a beach in skimpy yellow swimming trunks in Dostana (Friendship), he took Bollywood sex appeal to a new level.

Apart from his regular trainer, celebrity fitness expert Mike Ryan was roped in to sculpt his body for the film.

According to Ryan, the focus was more on toning and cardiovascular rather than strength. Following "old school" style in which every body part is worked upon individually, his method was all about weight-lifting along with cardio exercises.

On the diet front, Abraham reportedly gulped down protein shakes and cut back on carbohydrates and fats. On his off-days, he had meals consisting of egg whites, oatmeal, fish, chicken and vegetables.

Khan's fitness trainer for Ghajini, Satya Chaurasia, said it took the actor 13 months, with a daily regime of about four hours, to achieve the brawn.

Khan reportedly lived on a egg white-rich diet for the duration and consumed more than 16 egg whites a day.

Word has it that the diminutive Khan could do 1,000 stomach crunches in 55 minutes at the end of his training phase.

This is Khan's own production and he is keen to impress in the title role.

For the last few months, Khan has been following rigorous two hour-long work-out sessions combined with a strict diet.

"Every morning, we have a work-out session for around two hours, which starts with cardio. It goes on for 45 minutes and then we switch to weight training. To relax the body parts after weight training, we then do some stretching," said personal trainer Satya Chaurasia to an Indian daily.

His daily diet consists of 12 eggs, 1 kilogram of chicken and mini meals every two or three hours comprising brown bread and green veggies.

Kapoor was an ace at playing the cute college boy until Kaminey (Rascal). Billed as his finest acting and brawn display, the scene in which Kapoor races like a stallion with blinders on is etched in every Bollywood buff's imagination.

Reports claim that he worked out for about a year to achieve the rugged look. Think rigorous sessions six times a week combined with a strict vegetarian diet to get the picture.

He did a combination weights, cardio and circuit training to get maximum results. Apparently, he was found working out in his gym even as late as 2am.

Did you know?

Devgn will turn producer again with the Rohit Shetty-directed Bol Bachchan, a remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's classic Gol Maal. Devgn will star alongside Abhishek Bachchan.