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The mega star Ajay Devgn, also called ‘Mass Maharaja’ by his fans, turns 54 today. It’ll be a special birthday for him today as his much-awaited biggie, Bholaa, was released just a few days ago. Thankfully, it is doing quite well and has given him a reason for a double celebration. Interestingly, if Bholaa sustains well, it’ll be his second consecutive success after the mega-blockbuster, Drishyam 2 (2022). This will be a rare instance for an actor in the post-pandemic era, where even the biggest of films are falling like nine pins. Also, it was said that remakes won’t work in Bollywood. Ajay Devgn proved this notion wrong not once but twice as both Drishyam 2 and Bholaa have been adapted from South films. Ajay Devgn’s box office achievements are known and a lot has been written about it. This article, however, will focus on the lesser-known aspect of how he has always given back to the industry, like no other actor. Not many know that Ajay Devgn is also an exhibitor and runs a chain of cinemas called NY Cinemas. In a thoughtful gesture, this cinema chain has acquired theatres that were shut down and have refurbished them. The ticket rates in these theatres are reasonable and some of them are located in towns which had no cinema hall. It has been said time and again that India is heavily under-screened and if there are more theatres, the business can expand. In this regard, Ajay has done a great service to the industry. In a Bollywood Hungama exclusive interview after the release of Golmaal Again (2017), Ajay Devgn said, “I have started taking theatres that have been shut down in Uttar Pradesh. Till now, I already have 4 theatres running. I intend to take the number to 150 or 200. 80 theatres in UP have shut down and these are in cities which have a population of around 10 lakhs. If you add the total population of such towns, imagine the number of people who are not getting to see a film due to the lack of theatres in their towns. The locals have to travel 80 km to catch a film. They’ll do it for a film like Golmaal but why would they (take so much effort) for a film that they are not excited about or doesn’t have the cinematic experience?” Then, in 2015, Ajay Devgn established NY VFXWaala and has constantly attempted to provide top-class CGI in films. This studio has worked on films like Dilwale (2015), Bajirao Mastani (2015), Dangal (2016), Shivaay (2016), Baahubali 2 (2017), Jagga Jasoos (2017), Golmaal Again (2017), Padmaavat (2018), Simmba (2018), Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020) etc. It has won a National Award for Shivaay. It has been majorly instrumental in having a setup where films can be shot in controlled environments against green screens and not in challenging outdoor locations. Saif Ali Khan, in an interview in 2020, drew an interesting parallel between acting in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and Laal Kaptaan (2019), “Everything you see on screen (in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior) is Filmistan Studios. It’s such a relief, really, because Laal Kaptaan was the most exhausting film I’ve ever done—crazy shifts and slaving away in live locations—only to find that we didn’t need to do all that.” AJAY DEVGN ORGANISES VACCINATION CAMP... #AjayDevgn’s NY Foundation conducted a vaccination camp on 11 June 2021 in #Mumbai... Those vaccinated included workers associated with the entertainment industry and media professionals. pic.twitter.com/1fJIxuoTkX — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 12, 2021 Finally, Ajay Devgn was at the forefront while helping people through NY Foundations, not just from the film industry, but all sections of society during the Covid-19 pandemic. From setting up Covid wards to helping more than 300 stunt artists to donating oxygen cylinders to organizing free Covid-19 vaccination camps, Ajay Devgn proved that he has a heart of gold and truly cares for the situation. Even his non-Covid related social work like paying fees of students belonging to economically weak sections to donating rickshaws and sewing machines to the unemployed to regularly donating food to the poor in rural areas are praiseworthy efforts. The beauty of Ajay Devgn is that he silently works on these fronts and will never shout from the rooftops about it. If a mediaperson asks him about these initiatives, he’ll prefer not to answer. Hence, it’s not surprising that many readers are not aware of this side of Ajay Devgn. And that’s Ajay for you – a man who believes simply in working round the clock and giving back to the industry and the society that made him a star. Also Read: Ajay Devgn says he ‘ensures he doesn’t copy action scene from any Hollywood film’; calls Bholaa’s bike-truck sequence “very risky”
