Ajay Devgan talks about his role in Omkara and Kajol's performance in Fanaa.

Ajay Devgan is known for dishing out seasoned performances… and speaking little. Especially to the media. No wonder Ajay Devgan is still seen with the same set of friends even after more than a decade in the film industry.

We meet Ajay in the lobby of a five-star hotel, and find him looking tense. When asked for an interview, he promises one, and then disappears. It's only after being chased for a good four hours that Ajay can be pinned down for a chat.

When he is not talking, he's puffing away on a cigarette. Is he that tense? “No, just excited,” he replies. “I am not making my debut with Omkara. I have been there and done that. I am excited about my film, like the way I am about all my films. I am glad that people are showing an interest in something which is different. It shows that the times have finally changed for Hindi cinema.”

Ajay plays the lead role in Vishal Bharadwaj's Omkara, a film based on Shakespeare's Othello. Incidentally, Ajay was not interested in playing Othello initially since he was not aware of Shakespeare's work. Yet, when Vishal narrated the script to him, he loved it so much that he asked his secretary to produce the film.

“When Vishal narrated the script, I was intrigued by the character. It had all the emotions which you require in any Bollywood masala film. So I had no reason to refuse the offer,” he says.

The actor confesses that he didn't do any research for his character. “I completely depend on the director. When I read the entire script, I was sure that he has done enough research on the subject and his interpretation is different from what Shakespeare had written. I realised that I don't need to read the original text,” says Ajay.

If you talking about Othello, can Desdemona be far behind? Ajay, who has worked in the past with Karishma Kapoor, will be seen romancing Kareena in this film. Does it feel awkward to romance his earlier co-star's kid sister? “I have not thought about it that way,” he shrugs. “I have worked with Lolo and I think Bebo is as good as her. She is very dedicated.”

They had some steamy lovemaking scenes in the film. Was it difficult to do them? “A scene is scene. We need to work hard on each and every shot, be it an action or a lovemaking scene,” he says.

While most of the other actors in the cast were struggling with the UP dialect, it seems that Ajay managed the dialogue effortlessly. How? “Language has never been an issue with me. I am comfortable with any language once I read the script,” he says.

Does the pressure of being a National award-winning actor work on him? “I know that people expect a lot from me. They want me to deliver better than before. But you can't do much about it, apart from giving your best for every shot. It's useless to spend sleepless nights thinking about the fate of a film. I have realised over the years that one should not tax one's brain trying to figure out the box-office. I live for the day and enjoy life as it comes,” says Ajay.

The film has an ensemble cast: Vivek Oberoi , Saif Ali Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma. How was the experience of working with all these actors? “I think Saif has done a brilliant job in the film. And by saying that I don't mean to say that others did not. I know Vivek since we worked together in Company and he agreed to do the film because he is genuinely fond of me. I have not interacted much with Konkona, but she is a powerful actress,” he says.

His last release, Golmaal, did well at the box-office and the buzz for Omkara is also promising. So do we consider it a comeback time for Ajay? “I don't believe in the word 'comeback'. If you are doing good work, you are noticed. If your work doesn't match the expectations of your audience, you simply try again. There are no such terms as 'finished' or 'comeback'. It's all about time and dedication, and keeping afloat,” says Ajay.

Being an extremely private person, he prefers not to talk about his wife (Kajol) and daughter (Nyasa). Incidentally, he had organised a special screening of Omkara for his family. “Yes, I had organised a special screening for Kajol and she told me that she liked Omkara,” he says. Did she like his role best in the film, or someone else's? “You'll have to ask her this question,” he smiles.

When Ajay is not shooting or busy with his other assignments, he spends all his time with his daughter. In fact, when Kajol is busy with her assignments, he loves baby-sitting Nyasa.

Ajay is happy that Kajol's comeback film Fanaa is a blockbuster. “I was so tied up with Omkara, Golmaal and then shooting for Rajkumar Santoshi's Halla Bol, that I didn't get time to watch Fanaa. I am looking forward to watching the film soon, and I have been told that Kajol has done a fantastic job. Not that I ever doubted her capability as an actress,” he smiles.

source:mumbaimirror