136-512: Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn , is an Indian actor, film director, and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema . One of the most prolific actors of Hindi cinema, Devgn has appeared in over 100 films and has won numerous accolades , including four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards . In 2016, he was honoured by the Government of India with
272-565: A parallel cinema movement. Although the movement (emphasising social realism ) was led by Bengali cinema , it also began gaining prominence in Hindi cinema. Early examples of parallel cinema include Dharti Ke Lal (1946), directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and based on the Bengal famine of 1943 , Neecha Nagar (1946) directed by Chetan Anand and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin (1953). Their critical acclaim and
408-534: A vigilante or anti-hero whose suppressed rage voiced the anguish of the urban poor. Hindi films have been a significant form of soft power for India, increasing its influence and changing overseas perceptions of India. In Germany , Indian stereotypes included bullock carts , beggars, sacred cows, corrupt politicians, and catastrophes before Bollywood and the IT industry transformed global perceptions of India. According to author Roopa Swaminathan, "Bollywood cinema
544-476: A visual effects company, NY VFXWAALA, after his children. It has been involved with many major films, such as Prem Ratan Dhan Payo , Tamasha , Bajirao Mastani , Mersal , Dilwale , Force 2 , and Simmba . The company won the Best Special Effects award at the 64th National Film Awards for the film Shivaay (2016). Ashwini Deshmukh of Filmfare termed Devgn a "private person" who
680-552: A Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Othello . It was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj . The film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh . It premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Cairo International Film Festival . Omkara was well received by critics. Rediff said: "Othello is a tricky role, a leading man eclipsed by
816-523: A Hong Kong remake, The Brothers (1979), which inspired John Woo 's internationally acclaimed breakthrough A Better Tomorrow (1986); the latter was a template for Hong Kong action cinema 's heroic bloodshed genre. "Angry young man" 1970s epics such as Deewaar and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) also resemble the heroic-bloodshed genre of 1980s Hong Kong action cinema. The influence of filmi may be seen in popular music worldwide. Technopop pioneers Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto of
952-606: A Time in Mumbaai , which was among the top-grossing films of that year. Both the film and Devgn's performance were well received by the critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgn is splendid as Sultan. The actor had enacted a similar role in Company , but it must be said that his interpretation is so different in Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai . He adds so much depth to the character, which only goes to prove his range and versatility. This is, without
1088-682: A blockbuster. Devgn also worked as a voice artist in Toonpur Ka Superrhero , an animated film. In 2011, Devgn performed with Emraan Hashmi in Madhur Bhandarkar 's comedy Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji . He was a narrator in Yamla Pagla Deewana and also made a cameo appearance in Ready . Devgn starred in Rohit Shetty's Singham . Taran Adarsh said: "The title means 'Lion' and Ajay is in
1224-442: A colour version of Mother India . However, colour did not become a popular feature until the late 1950s. At this time, lavish romantic musicals and melodramas were cinematic staples. The decade of the 1940s saw an expansion of Bombay cinema's commercial market and its presence in the national consciousness. The year 1943 saw the arrival of Indian cinema's first 'blockbuster' offering, the movie Kismet , which grossed in excess of
1360-453: A comeback with three major grossers - Golmaal 3 , Raajneeti , Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and continued in the decade with Singham (2011), Bol Bachchan (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Singham Returns (2014), Drishyam (2015), Golmaal Again (2017), Raid (2018) and Total Dhamaal (2019). His highest-grossing releases came with Tanhaji (2020), Drishyam 2 (2022) and Singham Again (2024). For portraying
1496-497: A contemporary urban context and anguished urban poor. By the mid-1970s, romantic confections had given way to gritty, violent crime films and action films about gangsters (the Bombay underworld ) and bandits ( dacoits ). Salim-Javed's writing and Amitabh Bachchan's acting popularised the trend with films such as Zanjeer and (particularly) Deewaar , a crime film inspired by Gunga Jumna which pitted "a policeman against his brother,
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#17328759197451632-548: A dinner table, is superbly handled, as is his guilty struggle to delineate his life experience from his professional opinion." Devgn also made a cameo appearance in his brother Anil Devgan 's film Haal-e-Dil . He then starred in Afzal Khan 's Mehbooba . Again in 2008, Devgn starred in Rohit Shetty 's comedy Golmaal Returns , a sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited about a mistrustful wife who believed her husband
1768-575: A film of scenes from that show, The Flower of Persia (1898). The Wrestlers (1899) by H. S. Bhatavdekar showed a wrestling match at the Hanging Gardens in Bombay . Dadasaheb Phalke 's silent film Raja Harishchandra (1913) is the first feature-length film made in India. The film, being silent, had English , Marathi , and Hindi -language intertitles . By the 1930s, the Indian film industry as
1904-497: A gang leader based on real-life smuggler Haji Mastan " (Bachchan); according to Danny Boyle , Deewaar was "absolutely key to Indian cinema". In addition to Bachchan, several other actors followed by riding the crest of the trend (which lasted into the early 1990s). Actresses from the era include Hema Malini , Jaya Bachchan , Raakhee , Shabana Azmi , Zeenat Aman , Parveen Babi , Rekha , Dimple Kapadia , Smita Patil , Jaya Prada and Padmini Kolhapure . The name "Bollywood"
2040-546: A genre of dacoit films , in turn defined by Gunga Jumna (1961). Written and produced by Dilip Kumar, Gunga Jumna was a dacoit crime drama about two brothers on opposite sides of the law (a theme which became common in Indian films during the 1970s). Some of the best-known epic films of Hindi cinema were also produced at this time, such as K. Asif 's Mughal-e-Azam (1960). Other acclaimed mainstream Hindi filmmakers during this period included Kamal Amrohi and Vijay Bhatt . The three most popular male Indian actors of
2176-519: A global presence". Scholar Brigitte Schulze has written that Indian films, most notably Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957), played a key role in shaping the Republic of India 's national identity in the early years after independence from the British Raj ; the film conveyed a sense of Indian nationalism to urban and rural citizens alike. Bollywood has long influenced Indian society and culture as
2312-783: A good film is generally referred to as paisa vasool , (literally "money's worth"). Songs, dances, love triangles, comedy and dare-devil thrills are combined in a three-hour show (with an intermission). These are called masala films , after the Hindi word for a spice mixture. Like masalas , they are a mixture of action, comedy and romance; most have heroes who can fight off villains single-handedly. Bollywood plots have tended to be melodramatic , frequently using formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers, angry parents, love triangles, family ties, sacrifice, political corruption, kidnapping, villains, kind-hearted courtesans , long-lost relatives and siblings, reversals of fortune and serendipity . Parallel cinema films tended to be less popular at
2448-561: A great extent, his presence covers up the film's patchiness in the second half." Devgn received his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. He then worked in Rohit Shetty 's directional debut Zameen and J. P. Dutta 's war film LOC Kargil . In 2004, Devgn was cast with Amitabh Bachchan , Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi 's action thriller Khakee . The film
2584-482: A hefty 310 crores at worldwide box office. In 2018, Devgn starred in Raj Kumar Gupta 's Raid where he plays the role of an honest Indian Revenue Service officer, which released to positive critical feedback on 16 March, and was a commercial success. Devgn has long been working on producing Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi , a sequel to Son of Sardaar . In August 2017, Devgn stated: "We are working on
2720-464: A huge hit at the box office. His next release, Amit Sharma directorial Maidaan , saw him portray Indian football coach Syed Abdul Rahim . Although the biopic and Devgn's performance received positive reviews, the film was a financial failure. His next release, Neeraj Pandey 's Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha was also a commercial flop, this time to mixed to negative reviews. He will next be seen in
2856-618: A long weekend will help the film reap a harvest and rule the box office in days to come.". Collection of over ₹ 32.09 crore (US$ 3.8 million) on the first day of its release in India. Domestic net of Singham Returns are ₹ 140.62 crore (US$ 17 million). Devgn next featured in Prabhu Deva 's Action Jackson which did not perform well at box office. In 2015, Devgn starred in Drishyam , directed by Nishikant Kamat. The film received positive reviews, Meena Iyer of The Times of India gave
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#17328759197452992-428: A major critical and commercial success, along with becoming his second highest-grossing film of his career, after Tanhaji . In 2023, Devgn starred and directed the remake of Kaithi (2019), Bholaa , his third directorial. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment. In 2024, Devgn has had three releases. The first was the horror film Shaitaan , which received favorable response from critics and emerged
3128-464: A major influence. During the early 20th century, Urdu was the lingua franca of popular cultural performance across northern India and established in popular performance art traditions such as nautch dancing, Urdu poetry , and Parsi theater. Urdu and related Hindi dialects were the most widely understood across northern India, and Hindustani became the standard language of early Indian talkies. Films based on " Persianate adventure-romances" led to
3264-402: A new generation of popular actors, including the three Khans : Aamir Khan , Shah Rukh Khan , and Salman Khan , who have starred in most of the top ten highest-grossing Bollywood films . The Khans and have had successful careers since the late 1980s and early 1990s, and have dominated the Indian box office for three decades. Shah Rukh Khan was the most successful Indian actor for most of
3400-742: A popular genre of " Arabian Nights cinema". Scholars Chaudhuri Diptakirti and Rachel Dwyer and screenwriter Javed Akhtar identify Urdu literature as a major influence on Hindi cinema. Most of the screenwriters and scriptwriters of classic Hindi cinema came from Urdu literary backgrounds, from Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Akhtar ul Iman to Salim–Javed and Rahi Masoom Raza ; a handful came from other Indian literary traditions, such as Bengali and Hindi literature . Most of Hindi cinema's classic scriptwriters wrote primarily in Urdu, including Salim-Javed, Gulzar , Rajinder Singh Bedi , Inder Raj Anand , Rahi Masoom Raza and Wajahat Mirza . Urdu poetry and
3536-626: A renaissance of Western musical films such as Chicago , Rent , and Dreamgirls . Indian film composer A. R. Rahman wrote the music for Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Bombay Dreams , and a musical version of Hum Aapke Hain Koun was staged in London's West End. The sports film Lagaan (2001) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film , and two other Hindi films (2002's Devdas and 2006's Rang De Basanti ) were nominated for
3672-546: A rich boy in love with a poor girl, played by Kajol. The film grossed ₹ 30 crore (US$ 3.6 million) and emerged as the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year. In 1998, Devgn starred in Major Saab with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre where he played the character of an army officer. The movie was successful and was the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year. He next starred with Kajol in Anees Bazmee 's second film,
3808-455: A short documentary about the Mumbai floods of 2005 titled The Awakening . In 2007, Devgn starred in two films, director Anubhav Sinha 's action thriller Cash and Aag . Both films proved to be critically and commercially unsuccessful. In 2008, Devgn starred in the social film Halla Bol , directed by Rajkumar Santoshi , alongside Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan . The film is based on
3944-504: A similar influence on Amitabh Bachchan , Naseeruddin Shah , Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui . Veteran actresses such as Suraiya , Nargis , Sumitra Devi , Madhubala , Meena Kumari , Waheeda Rehman , Nutan , Sadhana , Mala Sinha and Vyjayanthimala have had their share of influence on Hindi cinema. While commercial Hindi cinema was thriving, the 1950s also saw the emergence of
4080-455: A source of stem cells in case of serious ailment. In August 2009, Devgn changed the spelling of his surname Devgan to Devgn , at the request of his family. He is a practicing Shaiva Hindu who prominently wears a Rudraksha which, along with other religious themes, features in his films. Devgn was the first Bollywood personality to own a private jet for transport to shooting locations, to promotions and for personal trips. As Devgn entered
4216-410: A stirring and powerful interpretation of a man haunted by uncertainty about his lover's faithfulness. The serious look that Ajay carries suits him to the T. Of course, Ajay is exceptional in the film and looks every inch the character he portrays." In 2006, Devgn also starred in Rohit Shetty 's Golmaal . It had two sequels Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3 . In the same year, Devgn was featured in
Ajay Devgn - Misplaced Pages Continue
4352-557: A trace of doubt, Ajay's finest work so far." Komal Nahta said: "Ajay Devgn is simply fantastic in the role of Sultan Mirza. So real is his performance that it looks like he was born to play this role. Right from his look to his acting including dialogue-delivery, everything is fabulous. Indeed, an award-winning performance!" The film earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Devgn then starred in Priyadarshan 's action-thriller film Aakrosh . The movie explores
4488-453: A whole was producing over 200 films per year. The first Indian sound film, Ardeshir Irani 's Alam Ara (1931), made in Hindustani language, was commercially successful. With a great demand for talkies and musicals, Hindustani cinema (as Hindi cinema was then known as) and the other language film industries quickly switched to sound films. The 1930s and 1940s were tumultuous times; India
4624-465: A whole, only refers to Hindi-language films, with Indian cinema being an umbrella term that includes all the film industries in the country, each offering films in diverse languages and styles. In 2017, Indian cinema produced 1,986 feature films, of which the largest number, 364 have been in Hindi. In 2022, Hindi cinema represented 33% of box office revenue, followed by Telugu and Tamil representing representing 20% and 16% respectively. Hindi cinema
4760-454: Is Raju's love interest and is like a sister to Duryodhan. Duryodhan is a wrestler and works at a martial arts training school owned by Lal Bihari. Due to some misunderstanding between Raju, Duryodhan and Raju's sister, she is raped by Duryodhan. This angers Raju, but he fails in avenging his sister because Duryodhan is a wrestler. Raju starts training as a fighter under Baba Thakur. After being fully trained, he avenges all of his enemies. Duryodhan
4896-545: Is a darling of his directors." Rediff.com noted the actor's change from "lanky star son" to "back-to-back hits churner". It further credited him for popularising the "intense, brooding hero" looks. Devgn is among the most popular and highest paid celebrities in India. He has frequently featured in the Forbes India ' s Celebrity 100 list since 2012. He peaked at the 10th position in 2018 with an estimated annual income of ₹ 745 million (US$ 8.9 million). In 2019, he
5032-411: Is an action drama movie. Shivaay opened to mixed reviews and grossed more than ₹ 146 crore (US$ 17 million). In 2017, Devgn featured in director Milan Luthria 's Baadshaho and Rohit Shetty 's Golmaal Again . While Baadshaho was a flop, the latter emerged a blockbuster collecting 100 crores in 4 days of its release and a lifetime collection of 205 crores at the Indian box office while making
5168-431: Is killed in the ring itself, and Lal Bihari is killed by Suman. The music was composed by Anand–Milind while Sameer penned the songs. The song Pyar Ke Kagaz proved to be the biggest hit of the album. The album managed to feature in the top selling albums of 1992. Singers Kumar Sanu , Abhijeet , Pankaj Udhas , Udit Narayan , Sadhana Sargam , Mohammad Aziz & Kavita Krishnamurthy contributed their voice. After
5304-478: Is linked to economic liberalization in India during the early 1990s. Early in the decade, the pendulum swung back toward family-centered romantic musicals. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) was followed by blockbusters such as Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), introducing
5440-414: Is one of the largest centres for film production in the world. Hindi films sold an estimated 341 million tickets in India in 2019. Earlier Hindi films tended to use vernacular Hindustani , mutually intelligible by speakers of either Hindi or Urdu , while modern Hindi productions increasingly incorporate elements of Hinglish . The most popular commercial genre in Hindi cinema since the 1970s has been
5576-462: Is one of the strongest global cultural ambassadors of a new India." Its role in expanding India's global influence is comparable to Hollywood's similar role with American influence. Monroe Township , Middlesex County , New Jersey , in the New York metropolitan area , has been profoundly impacted by Bollywood; this U.S. township has displayed one of the fastest growth rates of its Indian population in
Ajay Devgn - Misplaced Pages Continue
5712-435: Is self-confessedly uncomfortable around people and said, "Three decades in the industry and Ajay Devgn continues to enjoy the trust of filmmakers and the loyalty of his fans." Ankur Pathak of GQ noted, "Devgn has shown remarkable resilience as a bankable star who has never had to rely on a "comeback" film since he never really goes off-screen." Sandeep Unnithan of India Today termed him a "versatile actor" and said, "Devgn
5848-545: The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language . Danny Boyle 's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won four Golden Globes and eight Academy Awards , was inspired by mainstream Hindi films and is considered an "homage to Hindi commercial cinema". It was also inspired by Mumbai-underworld crime films, such as Deewaar (1975), Satya (1998), Company (2002) and Black Friday (2007). Deewaar had
5984-531: The Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Actor , both for Devgn, in addition to his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor Tanhaji earned Rs 3.67 billion ($ 49 million) worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2020. Moreover, it marks Ajay Devgn's 100th film as an actor. In 2021, he starred alongside Sanjay Dutt , Sharad Kelkar , Nora Fatehi and Sonakshi Sinha in
6120-548: The Filmfare Award for Best Actor , followed by Hulchul directed by Milan Luthria, alongside Kajol. Devgn and Kajol then appeared in Gundaraj which did not perform well at the box office. His next release was Haqeeqat co-starring with Tabu. This film was the eleventh-highest-grossing film of the year. In 1996, Devgn starred in the action movie Jung with Mithun Chakraborty, Rambha and Aditya Pancholi . His next release
6256-493: The Mumbai underworld . Devgn played a gangster named Malik. Both the film and Devgn's performance received critical acclaim. As Taran Adarsh reviewed: "Devgn enacts his role to perfection. A controlled performance, the actor takes to this complex character like a fish takes to water. He underplays his part with admirable ease." Devgn's next release was David Dhawan 's comedy Hum Kisise Kum Nahin , with Amitabh Bachchan , Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai . The same year, he played
6392-620: The National Film Award for Best Actor . In the 2000s, Devgn saw limited commercial success, but continued to garner critical acclaim for films, including Company (2002), The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), Gangaajal (2003), Khakee (2004), Raincoat (2004), Apaharan (2005) and Omkara (2006). For portraying Bhagat Singh in The Legend of Bhagat Singh , he received his second National Film Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) . In 2010, he made
6528-439: The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi , and three Filmfare Awards , including the Filmfare Award for Best Film (Critics) . Despite these awards, and Devgn winning his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance, the film was not popular with the public. Devgn went on to perform in Anees Bazmee 's Deewangee . The film was partially inspired by William Diehl 's novel, Primal Fear . The film
6664-788: The Padma Shri , the country's fourth-highest civilian honour . Devgn debuted in the action romance film Phool Aur Kaante (1991), a big commercial success which made him an overnight star. He further starred in successful action films, such as Jigar (1992), Suhaag (1994), Vijaypath (1994), Dilwale (1994), Jaan (1996), Major Saab (1998) and Kachche Dhaage (1999) and romantic roles in Ishq (1997), Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). Devgn also received praise for his performances in Naajayaz (1995), Diljale (1996) and Zakhm (1998). For Zakhm , he won
6800-560: The Screen Award for Best Actor , in addition to his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In 1999, Devgn starred in the musical romance Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam , in which he played Vanraj, a man who tries to help his wife ( Aishwarya Rai ) reunite with her lover ( Salman Khan ). Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam marked a significant turning point in Devgn's career. The film, an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi 's Bengali novel Na Hanyate ,
6936-543: The Western Hemisphere , increasing from 256 (0.9%) as of the 2000 Census to an estimated 5,943 (13.6%) as of 2017, representing a 2,221.5% (a multiple of 23) numerical increase over that period, including many affluent professionals and senior citizens as well as charitable benefactors to the COVID-19 relief efforts in India in official coordination with Monroe Township, as well as actors with second homes. During
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#17328759197457072-576: The Yellow Magic Orchestra produced a 1978 electronic album, Cochin Moon , based on an experimental fusion of electronic music and Bollywood-inspired Indian music. Truth Hurts ' 2002 song " Addictive ", produced by DJ Quik and Dr. Dre , was lifted from Lata Mangeshkar 's "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" in Jyoti (1981). The Black Eyed Peas ' Grammy Award winning 2005 song " Don't Phunk with My Heart "
7208-675: The Zee Cine Award for Best Villain . In 2003, Devgn starred in Ram Gopal Verma's horror film Bhoot , opposite Urmila Matondkar . The film was appreciated critically and performed well at the box office. He then starred in the action thriller Qayamat: City Under Threat with the actress debutante, Neha Dhupia . The film was a commercial success. Devgn next performed in Milan Luthria 's romantic film Chori Chori , opposite Rani Mukherji and Sonali Bendre . This film did not succeed at
7344-722: The ghazal tradition strongly influenced filmi ( Bollywood lyrics ). Javed Akhtar was also greatly influenced by Urdu novels by Pakistani author Ibn-e-Safi , such as the Jasoosi Dunya and Imran series of detective novels; they inspired, for example, famous Bollywood characters such as Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975) and Mogambo in Mr. India (1987). Todd Stadtman identifies several foreign influences on 1970s commercial Bollywood masala films , including New Hollywood , Italian exploitation films , and Hong Kong martial arts cinema . After
7480-535: The masala film , which freely mixes different genres including action , comedy , romance , drama and melodrama along with musical numbers . Masala films generally fall under the musical film genre, of which Indian cinema has been the largest producer since the 1960s when it exceeded the American film industry's total musical output after musical films declined in the West. The first Indian talkie , Alam Ara (1931),
7616-461: The overseas Indian diaspora , have also been inspired by Bollywood music. Hindi films are primarily musicals, and are expected to have catchy song-and-dance numbers woven into the script. A film's success often depends on the quality of such musical numbers. A film's music and song and dance portions are usually produced first and these are often released before the film itself, increasing its audience. Indian audiences expect value for money, and
7752-531: The socio-economic and socio-political realities of contemporary India. They channeled growing popular discontent and disillusionment and state failure to ensure welfare and well-being at a time of inflation, shortages, loss of confidence in public institutions, increasing crime and the unprecedented growth of slums . Salim-Javed and Bachchan's films dealt with urban poverty, corruption and organised crime; they were perceived by audiences as anti-establishment , often with an "angry young man" protagonist presented as
7888-490: The title role in Tanhaji , he won his third National Film Award for Best Actor. Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms , which was established in 1999. He is married to Kajol with whom he has two children. Devgn was born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969 to a Vishwakarma family originally from Amritsar , Punjab . The family has connections to the Hindi film industry in Mumbai . Devgn's father, Veeru Devgan ,
8024-547: The 1950s and 1960s were Dilip Kumar , Raj Kapoor , and Dev Anand , each with a unique acting style. Kapoor adopted Charlie Chaplin 's tramp persona; Anand modeled himself on suave Hollywood stars like Gregory Peck and Cary Grant , and Kumar pioneered a form of method acting which predated Hollywood method actors such as Marlon Brando . Kumar, who was described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray , inspired future generations of Indian actors. Much like Brando's influence on Robert De Niro and Al Pacino , Kumar had
8160-465: The 1950s and early 1960s and some won major prizes at the festival. Guru Dutt , overlooked during his lifetime, received belated international recognition during the 1980s. Film critics polled by the British magazine Sight & Sound included several of Dutt's films in a 2002 list of greatest films , and Time's All-Time 100 Movies lists Pyaasa as one of the greatest films of all time. During
8296-483: The 1970s. Although the art film bent of the Film Finance Corporation was criticised during a 1976 Committee on Public Undertakings investigation which accused the corporation of not doing enough to encourage commercial cinema, the decade saw the rise of commercial cinema with films such as Sholay (1975) which consolidated Amitabh Bachchan 's position as a star. The devotional classic Jai Santoshi Ma
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#17328759197458432-453: The 1980s was Mira Nair 's Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Camera d'Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . Hindi cinema experienced another period of box-office decline during the late 1980s with due to concerns by audiences over increasing violence and a decline in musical quality, and a rise in video piracy. One of
8568-467: The 1990s and 2000s, and Aamir Khan has been the most successful Indian actor since the mid 2000s. Action and comedy films, starring such actors as Akshay Kumar and Govinda . The decade marked the entrance of new performers in art and independent films, some of which were commercially successful. The most influential example was Satya (1998), directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Anurag Kashyap . Its critical and commercial success led to
8704-501: The 2000s, Hindi cinema began influencing musical films in the Western world and was instrumental role in reviving the American musical film. Baz Luhrmann said that his musical film, Moulin Rouge! (2001), was inspired by Bollywood musicals; the film incorporated a Bollywood-style dance scene with a song from the film China Gate . The critical and financial success of Moulin Rouge! began
8840-411: The 2010s, the industry saw established stars such as making big-budget masala films like Dabangg (2010), Singham (2011) , Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Rowdy Rathore (2012), Chennai Express (2013), Kick (2014) and Happy New Year (2014) with much-younger actresses. Although the films were often not praised by critics, they were commercially successful. Some of
8976-728: The Bombay film industry was closely linked to the Lahore film industry (known as "Lollywood"; now part of the Pakistani film industry ); both produced films in Hindustani (also known as Hindi-Urdu), the lingua franca of northern and central India. Another centre of Hindustani-language film production was the Bengal film industry in Calcutta , Bengal Presidency (now Kolkata, West Bengal ), which produced Hindustani-language films and local Bengali language films. Many actors, filmmakers and musicians from
9112-804: The Bombay film industry's position as the preeminent center for film production in India. The period from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, after India's independence , is regarded by film historians as the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. Some of the most critically acclaimed Hindi films of all time were produced during this time. Examples include Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), directed by Guru Dutt and written by Abrar Alvi ; Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955), directed by Raj Kapoor and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas , and Aan (1952), directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Dilip Kumar . The films explored social themes, primarily dealing with working-class life in India (particularly urban life) in
9248-549: The Filmfare Award for Best Villain for his performance in the film. Later in 2004, Devgn appeared in Indra Kumar 's Masti and Mani Ratnam 's Yuva . Devgn next collaborated with Rituparno Ghosh in the relationship drama Raincoat , with Aishwaraya Rai. The film is an adaptation of O. Henry 's The Gift of the Magi . Raincoat met with wide critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi . Devgn
9384-405: The Indian economy and a demand for quality entertainment in this era led the country's film industry to new heights in production values, cinematography and screenwriting as well as technical advances in areas such as special effects and animation. Some of the largest production houses, among them Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions were the producers of new modern films. Some popular films of
9520-552: The Lahore industry migrated to the Bombay industry during the 1940s, including actors K. L. Saigal , Prithviraj Kapoor , Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand as well as playback singers Mohammed Rafi , Noorjahan and Shamshad Begum . Around the same time, filmmakers and actors from the Calcutta film industry began migrating to Bombay; as a result, Bombay became the center of Hindustani-language film production. The 1947 partition of India divided
9656-512: The action film Ek Hi Raasta , and with Deepak Pawar, who directed Platform . Other releases that year were Shaktiman , Dhanwan and Bedardi . In 1994, Devgn starred in Harry Baweja 's romantic action film Dilwale . He played the part of Arun Saxena, a man with intellectual impairment. The movie was the tenth-highest-grossing movie of the year. His next release was Kanoon and then Kuku Kohli's Suhaag with Akshay Kumar. The film
9792-526: The actress, Kajol , began whilst they were co-starring in Gundaraj (1995). The media called them "an unlikely pair" due to their contrasting personalities. On 24 February 1999, the couple married in a traditional Maharashtrian Hindu ceremony at the Devgan home. The couple has two children. Their daughter, Nysa, was born 20 April 2003 and their son, Yug, was born 13 September 2010. Devgn and Kajol stored their newborn son's umbilical cord blood and tissues to act as
9928-670: The biggest entertainment industry; many of the country's musical, dancing, wedding and fashion trends are Bollywood-inspired. Bollywood fashion trendsetters have included Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994). Hindi films have also had a socio-political impact on Indian society, reflecting Indian politics . In classic 1970s Bollywood films, Bombay underworld crime films written by Salim–Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan such as Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975) reflected
10064-545: The blockbuster Sholay (1975), written by Salim-Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan. It combined the dacoit film conventions of Mother India and Gunga Jumna with spaghetti Westerns , spawning the Dacoit Western (also known as the curry Western ) which was popular during the 1970s. Some Hindi filmmakers, such as Shyam Benegal , Mani Kaul , Kumar Shahani , Ketan Mehta , Govind Nihalani and Vijaya Mehta , continued to produce realistic parallel cinema throughout
10200-474: The box office and earned positive critical reviews for his performance as well as for his direction. Rediff said: "His character grows, discovers both shirt-buttons and subtlety, delivering an intense acting job. Speaking almost entirely in platitudes – pithy at first, profound as he goes on – this grows into an extraordinarily well-written character, replete with flaws and relatability. The way he treats his remorse, drunkenly pointing every finger at himself around
10336-571: The box office. A large Indian diaspora in English-speaking countries and increased Western influence in India have nudged Bollywood films closer to Hollywood. Jigar Jigar is a 1992 Indian Hindi -language martial arts film directed by Farogh Siddique. It was released during the Diwali weekend and proved to be a successful hit. The plot is inspired by the 1989 American film Kickboxer . Raju and Duryodhan are very good friends. Suman
10472-460: The box office. Devgn's next release of the year was Prakash Jha 's Gangaajal . The film was set in the time of the blinding incident in Bhagalpur , Bihar. Rediff.com said, "Ajay Devgan pulls up an ace with a part tailormade to reinforce his seething-under-the-surface angry hero image. To his credit (and the director's), he brings style and grace to a largely stereotypical, righteous protagonist. To
10608-451: The box office. In the same year, Devgn starred in his first home production; Raju Chacha , with Kajol. The film was moderately successful. In 2001, Devgn starred in another moderately successful film; Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke with Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta . His next release was Lajja , with Manisha Koirala , Madhuri Dixit , Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor . His performance
10744-418: The centre of the battle between good and evil. Ajay is well known for the lines, " aataa maajhi satakli ". The embodiment of screen masculinity, Ajay enacts the central character of a righteous, hardhearted cop with flourish. He brings alive on screen a larger-than-life hero character with determined conviction, which renders you thunderstruck. One of the few actors who underplays his part admirably, he returns to
10880-647: The conventions which were once strictly associated with parallel cinema. "Bollywood" is a portmanteau derived from Bombay (the former name of Mumbai ) and "Hollywood", a shorthand reference for the American film industry which is based in Hollywood , California . The term "Tollywood", for the Tollygunge -based cinema of West Bengal , predated "Bollywood". It was used in a 1932 American Cinematographer article by Wilford E. Deming, an American engineer who helped produce
11016-523: The country into the Republic of India and Pakistan , which precipitated the migration of filmmaking talent from film production centres like Lahore and Calcutta , which bore the brunt of the partition violence. This included actors, filmmakers and musicians from Bengal , Punjab (particularly the present-day Pakistani Punjab ), and the North-West Frontier Province (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ). These events further consolidated
11152-528: The creation of a national movement against colonial rule in India, while simultaneously leveraging the popular political movement to increase their own visibility and popularity. Themes from the Independence Movement deeply influenced Bombay film directors, screen-play writers, and lyricists, who saw their films in the context of social reform and the problems of the common people. Before the Partition,
11288-581: The critically and commercially unsuccessful remake of Himmatwala . Devgn next featured in Prakash Jha 's political drama Satyagraha . In 2014, Devgn featured in Rohit Shetty's Singham Returns , a sequel to Singham . Singham Returns received mixed reviews from Indian critics. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave it 4 stars and said: "The film is a complete mass entertainer with power-packed drama, hi-intensity dialogue and towering performances as its aces. The brand value attached to it coupled with
11424-405: The decade were Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Lagaan (2001), Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Rang De Basanti (2006), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Dhoom 2 (2006), Krrish (2006), and Jab We Met (2007), among others, showing the rise of new movie stars. During
11560-672: The decade with films such as Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975). Salim-Javed reinterpreted the rural themes of Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957) and Dilip Kumar 's Gunga Jumna (1961) in a contemporary urban context, reflecting the socio-economic and socio-political climate of 1970s India and channeling mass discontent, disillusionment and the unprecedented growth of slums with anti-establishment themes and those involving urban poverty, corruption and crime. Their "angry young man", personified by Amitabh Bachchan , reinterpreted Dilip Kumar's performance in Gunga Jumna in
11696-409: The emergence of a genre known as Mumbai noir: urban films reflecting the city's social problems. This led to a resurgence of parallel cinema by the end of the decade. The films featured actors whose performances were often praised by critics. The 2000s saw increased Bollywood recognition worldwide due to growing (and prospering) NRI and South Asian diaspora communities overseas. The growth of
11832-701: The fifth entry of the Cop Universe and the much awaited sequel to Singham Returns (2014), Singham Again , which is set to release for Diwali 2024. Additionally, he is set to feature in Raid 2 and Son of Sardaar 2 , spiritual sequels to his 2018 release Raid and 2012 release Son of Sardaar . Ajay Devgn FFilms (ADF) is an Indian film production and distribution company established by actor Ajay Devgn in 2000. Based in Mumbai , it mainly produces and distributes Hindi films. In 2000, ADF released its first film, Raju Chacha . The film starred Devgn himself as
11968-477: The film four out of five stars, describing it as "A suspense drama with a nail-biting finish." She praised Devgn's performances: "Ajay, who is the prey here, shines in his role of the protective father.". The film was successful at the box office, by the end of its sixth week, the film had grossed about ₹ 76.48 crore (US$ 9.2 million) at the domestic box office. In 2016, Devgn was seen in his own production, Shivaay , which released around Diwali 2016. Shivaay
12104-454: The film industry in 1991, he changed his stage name from his birth name, Vishal, to "Ajay" due to several other actors named Vishal being launched at the same time, including Manoj Kumar 's son. He began his professional career alongside Madhoo in the action romance Phool Aur Kaante , which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut . In his opening scene, Devgn performed a split while balancing between two motorcycles. His next film
12240-829: The films starring Aamir Khan, from Taare Zameen Par (2007) and 3 Idiots (2009) to Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2018), have been credited with redefining and modernising the masala film with a distinct brand of socially conscious cinema. Most stars from the 2000s continued successful careers into the next decade, and the 2010s saw a new generation of popular actors in different films. Among new conventions, female-centred films such as The Dirty Picture (2011), Kahaani (2012), and Queen (2014), Pink (2016), Raazi (2018), Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) started gaining wide financial success. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake identify six major influences which have shaped Indian popular cinema: Sharmistha Gooptu identifies Indo-Persian - Islamic culture as
12376-602: The first Indian sound picture. "Bollywood" was probably invented in Bombay-based film trade journals in the 1960s or 1970s, though the exact inventor varies by account. Film journalist Bevinda Collaco claims she coined the term for the title of her column in Screen magazine. Her column entitled "On the Bollywood Beat" covered studio news and celebrity gossip. Other sources state that lyricist, filmmaker and scholar Amit Khanna
12512-455: The first masala film and the first quintessentially "Bollywood" film. Salim-Javed wrote more successful masala films during the 1970s and 1980s. Masala films made Amitabh Bachchan the biggest star of the period. A landmark of the genre was Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), directed by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan , and Desai continued successfully exploiting the genre. Both genres (masala and violent-crime films) are represented by
12648-414: The first two examples. Awaara presented the city as both nightmare and dream, and Pyaasa critiqued the unreality of urban life. Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957), a remake of his earlier Aurat (1940), was the first Indian film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film ; it lost by a single vote. Mother India defined conventional Hindi cinema for decades. It spawned
12784-469: The historical film, Bhuj: The Pride of India , a critical failure, and had a cameo in Sooryavanshi , reprising as DCP Bajirao Singham. In 2022, Devgn made his OTT debut with the web series, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness , on Disney+ Hotstar . The same year, he released his third directorial, Runway 34 . It received positive reviews from both the critics and audience, but failed on the box office. He
12920-464: The important barrier of one crore (10 million) rupees, made on a budget of only two lakh (200,000) rupees. The film tackled contemporary issues, especially those arising from the Indian Independence movement, and went on to become "the longest running hit of Indian cinema", a title it held till the 1970s. Film personalities like Bimal Roy, Sahir Ludhianvi and Prithviraj Kapoor participated in
13056-419: The late 1960s and early 1970s, the industry was dominated by musical romance films with romantic-hero leads. By 1970, Hindi cinema was thematically stagnant and dominated by musical romance films . The arrival of screenwriting duo Salim–Javed ( Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar ) was a paradigm shift, revitalising the industry. They began the genre of gritty, violent, Bombay underworld crime films early in
13192-608: The latter's commercial success paved the way for Indian neorealism and the Indian New Wave (synonymous with parallel cinema). Internationally acclaimed Hindi filmmakers involved in the movement included Mani Kaul , Kumar Shahani , Ketan Mehta , Govind Nihalani , Shyam Benegal , and Vijaya Mehta . After the social-realist film Neecha Nagar received the Palme d'Or at the inaugural 1946 Cannes Film Festival , Hindi films were frequently in competition for Cannes' top prize during
13328-399: The lead actor and his wife Kajol as the lead actress. Raju Chacha received mixed reviews but grossed Rs 209.2 millions at the box office. In 2008, Devgn co-produced the drama U Me Aur Hum , which marked his directorial debut. Devgn also played the lead role in the film, sharing the screen again with Kajol. The film was written by Devgn himself and three other writers. Critical reception
13464-403: The life of activist Safdar Hashmi , who was killed in 1989 by political rivals while performing in the street play Halla Bol . The film received negative reviews and was a flop at the box office. The same year, Devgn also starred in Rohit Shetty 's third film Sunday . He then took the lead role with Kajol in his own directorial debut film U Me Aur Hum . The film performed moderately well at
13600-690: The over-the-top-action genre of films with this one. In a nutshell, his performance plays a pivotal role in carrying the film to the winning post." Singham earned him his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He then starred David Dhawan 's action comedy film Rascals . The following year, Devgn starred in Tezz , directed by Priyadarshan . His co-stars were Anil Kapoor , Boman Irani , Kangana Ranaut , Sameera Reddy and Zayed Khan . Devgn then starred in Rohit Shetty's film Bol Bachchan . He then starred in Son of Sardaar . In 2013, Devgn featured in
13736-404: The rest of Indian cinema) it has become part of the "Indian story". In India, Bollywood is often associated with India's national identity. According to economist and Bollywood biographer Meghnad Desai , "Cinema actually has been the most vibrant medium for telling India its own story, the story of its struggle for independence, its constant struggle to achieve national integration and to emerge as
13872-420: The role of Bhagat Singh , in Rajkumar Santoshi 's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh . His performance was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said, "Devgn has lived the role. To state that he is excellent would be an understatement. His performance is bound to win admiration from cinegoers, besides fetching awards." The film was released on 7 June 2002 and went on to win two National Film Awards , including
14008-491: The romantic comedy Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha , a remake of the 1995 American film French Kiss . It grossed ₹ 30.25 crore (US$ 3.6 million). Devgn's next release was Mahesh Bhatt 's drama Zakhm , which examines communal tension in Mumbai during riots. Devgn played a man who is fed up with religious conflict. Devgn won several awards for his critically acclaimed performance, including the National Film Award for Best Actor and
14144-540: The scene where he gets exasperated with his wife's stubbornness and strives to keep his cool." The film proved to be a commercial success and earned Devgn his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. After that, he appeared in Hindustan Ki Kasam with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre. He then worked with the director Milan Luthria in Kachche Dhaage , with Saif Ali Khan and Manisha Koirala. The movie
14280-477: The script but it won't happen for another two years because of the scale of the project." He starred in De De Pyaar De alongside Tabu and Rakul Preet Singh . In early 2020, Devgn portrayed the role of 17th-century military leader Tanaji Malusare in an eponymously titled film, Tanhaji ; directed by Om Raut . The film was released on 10 January 2020 and went on to win three National Film Awards , including
14416-504: The subject of honour killings . Aakrosh received some positive reviews, but was financially unsuccessful. At the end of 2010, Devgn worked again with Rohit Shetty in Golmaal 3 , a sequel to Golmaal Returns (2008). Although, like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews, it was the most successful of the Golmaal series, earning more than ₹ 169 crore (US$ 20 million) and emerging
14552-570: The success of Bruce Lee films (such as Enter the Dragon ) in India, Deewaar (1975) and other Bollywood films incorporated fight scenes inspired by 1970s martial arts films from Hong Kong cinema until the 1990s. Bollywood action scenes emulated Hong Kong rather than Hollywood, emphasising acrobatics and stunts and combining kung fu (as perceived by Indians) with Indian martial arts such as pehlwani . Perhaps Hindi cinema's greatest influence has been on India's national identity, where (with
14688-414: The turning points came with such films as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), presenting a blend of youthfulness, family entertainment, emotional intelligence and strong melodies, all of which lured audiences back to the big screen. It brought back the template for Bollywood musical romance films which went on to define 1990s Hindi cinema. Known since the 1990s as "New Bollywood", contemporary Bollywood
14824-489: The villain. Yet the Moor is a brooding and compelling character, and Ajay Devgn does valiantly with his material. Omkara strips Othello of the racism, exchanging his black skin for surprisingly inconsequential half-Brahminism. Ajay's best bits are when restrained, and while there is a bit of a seen-that feel to his character, by the time the film is over, you realise just how unflinchingly solid he's been." Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay makes
14960-578: Was Jigar (1992), a Bollywood martial arts film co-starring Karisma Kapoor . It was released on Diwali weekend and became the seventh-highest-grossing film of that year, taking ₹ 7 crore (US$ 840,000) at the box office . In 1993, Devgn starred in Dil Hai Betaab , a film about a revengeful love triangle. He next featured in Divya Shakti and then Sangram , a story of enmity between two fathers. Devgn then worked with Deepak Bahry , who directed
15096-406: Was a box-office hit. He then performed in the successful movie Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet , a romantic comedy, and then in his home production movie with Kajol, and director, Prakash Jha. The film was titled Dil Kya Kare . His other movies in 1999 were Gair and Thakshak in which he played a strong, silent man. In 2000, Devgn performed in Harry Baweja 's Deewane . The film did not do well at
15232-618: Was a less successful year for Devgn, with all of his films not proving to be successful at the box office. His movies were not financially successful. They included Insan , Blackmail , Main Aisa Hi Hoon , Tango Charlie and Shikhar . However, the films Kaal and Apaharan did well. His performance as a villain in Kaal also earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. In 2006, Devgn played Othello in Omkara ,
15368-501: Was a moderate commercial success. Next, Devgn starred in Vipul Shah 's London Dreams , with Salman Khan and the Tamil film star Asin . The film was not popular with the public. In 2010, Devgn featured in the financially successful comedy Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? with Paresh Rawal and Konkona Sen Sharma . He then featured in Prakash Jha 's political thriller Raajneeti . Raajneeti
15504-564: Was a stunt choreographer and action-film director and his mother, Veena Devgan, is a film producer. His cousin, Anil Devgan , is a filmmaker and screenwriter. Devgn graduated from the Silver Beach High School in Juhu and then studied at Mithibai College . Devgn began a relationship with the actress Karisma Kapoor while filming Jigar (1992), however, the couple ended their relationship in 1995. That same year, Devgn's relationship with
15640-464: Was a success at the box office. He jointly won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) for his performance in Company and The Legend of Bhagat Singh , in addition to receiving his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the former. For his performance in Deewangee , he received several awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Villain , the Screen Award for Best Villain and
15776-484: Was about two friends. Devgn played Ajay Sharma/Malhotra. Suhaag was the seventh-highest-grossing movie of the year. His next film was Vijaypath . Shooting dates for Vijaypath clashed with those of Karan Arjun which Devgn declined. Vijaypath was the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year. In 1995, Devgn appeared alongside Juhi Chawla in Mahesh Bhatt 's Naajayaz , which earned him his first nomination for
15912-465: Was also released that year. By 1983, the Bombay film industry was generating an estimated annual revenue of ₹700 crore ( ₹ 7 billion, $ 693.14 million ), equivalent to $ 2.12 billion ( ₹12,667 crore , ₹ 111.33 billion) when adjusted for inflation. By 1986, India's annual film output had increased from 741 films produced annually to 833 films annually, making India the world's largest film producer. The most internationally acclaimed Hindi film of
16048-492: Was also seen in extended cameo appearances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi and S. S. Rajamouli's RRR , for which he received high praise. Later that year, Devgn was seen as Chitragupt in Indra Kumar 's Thank God , which also starred Sidharth Malhotra , which turned out to be a commercial failure. Later he starred in the sequel to Drishyam , Drishyam 2 , directed by Abhishek Pathak. It became
16184-404: Was an action movie called Jaan , with Twinkle Khanna . He then starred in Harry Baweja 's film Diljale , where he played a terrorist character called Shaka. In 1997, Devgn starred in a poorly -eceived movie, Itihaas , with Twinkle Khanna. His next release was Indra Kumar 's romantic comedy Ishq with Aamir Khan , Juhi Chawla and Kajol . In this successful film, Devgn played Ajay,
16320-571: Was buffeted by the Great Depression , World War II , the Indian independence movement , and the violence of the Partition . Although most early Bombay films were unabashedly escapist , a number of filmmakers tackled tough social issues or used the struggle for Indian independence as a backdrop for their films. Irani made the first Hindi colour film, Kisan Kanya , in 1937. The following year, he made
16456-606: Was coined during the 1970s, when the conventions of commercial Hindi films were defined. Key to this was the masala film , which combines a number of genres ( action , comedy , romance , drama , melodrama , and musical ). The masala film was pioneered early in the decade by filmmaker Nasir Hussain , and the Salim-Javed screenwriting duo, pioneering the Bollywood- blockbuster format. Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973), directed by Hussain and written by Salim-Javed, has been identified as
16592-400: Was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starred Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai . Devgn's performance received positive reviews from critics. Rediff said: "Ajay's role reminds you of one he did in another film, Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha . There he is searching for the boyfriend of the girl he secretly loves. But intense scenes are his forte and he does well here. He's particularly good in
16728-527: Was generally positive, with Taran Adarsh giving the film 4 out of 5 stars and describing it as "A well-made, absorbing love story that's high on emotional quotient". In 2009, Devgn released and acted in his home production All the Best: Fun Begins , which was directed by Rohit Shetty and also starring, Sanjay Dutt , Fardeen Khan , Bipasha Basu and Mugdha Godse . The film was released on 16 October 2009 and received positive response from critics. It
16864-472: Was in Marathi language. It was directed by Satish Rajwade and starred Nana Patekar , Iravati Harshe , and Sumeet Raghavan . The film was produced by Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar , Abhinav Shuklaa, Manish Mishra, & Rohit Choudhary and released on 9 February 2018. The story was a dramatic thriller and written by Vivek Bele. The film was distributed by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. In October 2015, Devgn established
17000-433: Was inspired by two 1970s Bollywood songs : "Ye Mera Dil Yaar Ka Diwana" from Don (1978) and "Ae Nujawan Hai Sub" from Apradh (1972). Both songs were composed by Kalyanji Anandji , sung by Asha Bhosle , and featured the dancer Helen . The Kronos Quartet re-recorded several R. D. Burman compositions sung by Asha Bhosle for their 2005 album, You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood , which
17136-464: Was its creator. It is unknown if it was derived from "Hollywood" through "Tollywood", or was inspired directly by "Hollywood". The term has been criticised by some film journalists and critics, who believe it implies that the industry is a poor cousin of Hollywood. In 1897, a film presentation by Professor Stevenson featured a stage show at Calcutta 's Star Theatre. With Stevenson's encouragement and camera, Hiralal Sen , an Indian photographer, made
17272-584: Was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Filmi music composed by A. R. Rahman (who received two Academy Awards for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack ) has frequently been sampled by other musicians, including the Singaporean artist Kelly Poon , the French rap group La Caution and the American artist Ciara . Many Asian Underground artists, particularly those among
17408-585: Was placed 12th, with an estimated annual income of ₹ 940 million (US$ 11 million). He was also inducted into the Bollywood Walk of Fame at Bandra Bandstand , where his hand print was preserved. Devgn was placed 7th in Rediff.com ' s list of Top 10 Actors of 2000–2010. In Rediff.com "Top Bollywood Actors" list, Devgn ranked 1st in 2002. He subsequently ranked 4th in 2004, 10th in 2006 and 2nd in 2019. In Eastern Eye ' s Sexiest Asian Men list of 2011, Devgn
17544-544: Was placed 29th. Hindi cinema Hindi cinema , popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema , refers to the film industry based in Mumbai , engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and " Hollywood ". The industry is a part of the larger Indian cinema , which also includes South Indian cinema and other smaller film industries . The term 'Bollywood', often mistakenly used to refer to Indian cinema as
17680-456: Was positively received and earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor . However, the film was commercially unsuccessful. Mahesh Manjrekar 's Tera Mera Saath Rahen followed. 2002 proved to be a key year for Devgn as he starred in three films of contrasting genres. He first starred in Ram Gopal Varma 's Company which was a fictional examination of
17816-511: Was praised for his performance. Rediff said: "Hesitation, desperation, humiliation – Ajay Devgn conveys them eloquently. His Manoj is no cool dude, but just another lower middle-class guy in misery, with whom none would like to switch place. He particularly stands out in the scenes where he cries in the bathroom, or begs Neeru not to marry someone else." In 2004, Devgn was also seen in a cameo appearance in Taarzan: The Wonder Car . 2005
17952-465: Was produced in the Hindustani language, four years after Hollywood's first sound film, The Jazz Singer (1927). Alongside commercial masala films, a distinctive genre of art films known as parallel cinema has also existed, presenting realistic content and avoidance of musical numbers. In more recent years, the distinction between commercial masala and parallel cinema has been gradually blurring, with an increasing number of mainstream films adopting
18088-609: Was rated a hit in India, and is the twelfth highest grossing Bollywood film of 2009. In 2014, ADF produced Singham Returns starring Devgn and Kareena Kapoor . In 2016 Devgn produced and starred in Shivaay which is to be the most expensive film of his production. In late December 2017, ADF collaborated with Fox Star Studios to produce Total Dhamaal starring Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh , Arshad Warsi , Javed Jaffrey , Madhuri Dixit , and Anil Kapoor . In 2018, Ajay Devgn released his first Marathi production Aapla Manus . The movie
18224-435: Was released internationally on 4 June 2010, after some controversies regarding similarities between actual people and the characters in the film. There were also issues about the use of the national anthem in the film. The film was made with a budget of ₹ 60 crore (US$ 7.2 million) At release, it received positive reviews and emerged a superhit at the box office. Again, in 2010, Devgn starred in Milan Luthria 's Once Upon
18360-481: Was released on 23 January 2004. It received positive reviews and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2004. In Khakee , Devgn once again played a villain. His performance as a police officer turned murderer was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgan adds yet another feather in his cap with a performance that could've been played only by a master performer. His confrontations with Amitabh Bachchan are exemplary." He received his second nomination for
18496-482: Was unfaithful. The Indian Express said the screenplay was derivative, concluding: "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Ajay-Kareena play it." Golmaal Returns was a financial hit with global revenues of ₹ 80 crore (US$ 9.6 million). In 2009, Devgn produced his third film, All the Best , directed by Rohit Shetty . It
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