Koffee With Karan Season 8 Episode 9 featuring Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty has been, by far, the best episode of this season, both in terms of fun and candour. Not only is Ajay a riot in the rapid fire round, he also gives a rare peek into his life and talks about his 33-year bond with friend and filmmaker Rohit Shetty. Here are the highlights from the episode starring ‘the dynamic duo’ on the Disney+Hotstar talk show.
Remembering their fathers and their life as fight instructors
Both the guests reminisced about their fathers, sharing their common roots. Ajay’s father Veeru Devgn, an acclaimed fight choreographer, had left his home in Punjab when he was just 13 and made a living doing odd jobs in Bombay. It was there that Veeru Devgn caught the attention of senior action director, Ravi Khanna, who, impressed by the young boy fighting on the streets, asked him to meet him the next day.
Chennai Express director Rohit Shetty’s father MB Shetty too made his name as a fight instructor. Hailing from Udupi, MB Shetty first worked as a waiter before getting into bodybuilding, boxing and fight choreography. Rohit, who was barely 10 when he lost his father, remembered his struggling phase till the time he met director Kuku Kohli and started to work with Ajay Devgn.
About his initial days in Bollywood, Ajay remembered himself as a ‘carefree’ person and also how Anil Kapoor had advised him — though he didn’t have a say in the matter — to avoid releasing his debut film Phool Aur Kaante alongside a ‘big film’ like the Sridevi-starrer Lamhe.
The brotherly bond
Rohit said his fighter’s instinct kept him going when he didn’t even have money to buy food, and that Ajay stood by him when his directorial debut Zameen tanked. Ajay said he misses the “fraternity feeling” of the old times when all actors got along. Actors today, he thought, are “insecure, overthink a lot and are concerned about validation from people whom they don’t know”.
Takeaways from box-office success and failure
When a film of his fails to pull in viewers, Ajay believes it is the process, rather than he, that has failed. “I don’t overreact to failure,” said the actor who doesn’t like to go to parties as he feels “awkward” around people.
When his film Cirkus flopped at the box office, Rohit acknowledged that he had gone wrong with it and got back on the sets of his web series, Indian Police Force. He said he has seen Ajay and Salman Khan sitting outside their vans and chilling, irrespective of a film’s box-office success or failure. Ajay also said he believes the audience knows better, which is why a film like “Gadar 2 became such a blockbuster when no one had faith in it”.
Nysa’s invasion of privacy, Rohit Shetty’s son Ishaan wants to be an actor
His daughter Nysa has no plans to follow in the footsteps of her parents for now, said Ajay, and invasion of privacy is something that one has to put up with. “She (Nysa) doesn’t like it. I don’t like it. We don’t like it, but you can’t change it. We have to live with it. It is what it is,” said Ajay, about his daughter being followed around by the paparazzi.
On the other hand, Rohit’s son Ishaan aspires to be an actor but Rohit has decided to put Ishaan through the rigour. Ajay stressed that his and Rohit’s humble background and middle-class values have played a huge role in their solid friendship and brotherly bond over the years.
Teaming up with Ranveer Singh
Talking about Ranveer Singh’s energy on the sets of Singham Again, director Rohit Shetty said Ranveer is the opposite of Ajay Devgn. “Either I shut him up or I shut my ears,” said Ajay, when asked what he does around an over-energetic Ranveer.
A fiery, cheeky Ajay Devgn
Ajay Devgn revealed he had a bone to pick against show host Karan Johar about the big box-office clash between his Shivaay and Karan’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Ajay called Karan his “once upon a time sworn enemy”, leaving the host startled and addressing the “misunderstanding” that transpired.
The two had resolved the issue soon after as Ajay believed people have short lives and it didn’t matter who’s right and who’s wrong — but Kajol did make Karan swear never to release his film on the same day as her husband’s again!
Between Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, Ajay picked the former as “bank-balance wise’’ for Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki. Ajay admitted to have done bad films for friendship, and expressed his desire to have Salman Khan’s single status, Shah Rukh’s business acumen and Akshay Kumar’s eight-hour shift contract.
As always, Ajay’s funniest answers were about his wife, Kajol. He said he is amused by Kajol’s growing interest in posting pictures on Instagram and they often get into a fight as she wants him to join her in the pictures but he doesn’t like to be clicked. Quizzed about a scenario in the Devgn household when Kajol doesn’t talk to him, Ajay cheekily replied, “Waiting for that day.” Rohit revealed a little-known fact about Ajay — he doesn’t eat with his hands. “I have OCD issues,” Ajay explained.
