Ajay Devgn and director Rohit Shetty, currently celebrating the success of Singham Again, recently shared stories from Ajay’s past, discussing how he perceives a decline in the “real man” persona in today’s generation of actors. Ajay explained that he feels audiences don’t connect with today’s action stars in the same way, as the sense of toughness isn’t as apparent. “In the past, you had men like Jackie Shroff and Amitabh Bachchan, true ‘men-men.’ Today, you don’t get that sense,” Ajay commented.
Rohit Shetty recalled an incident from the 90s where Ajay chased someone in Mumbai with a car following behind, trying to stop him. Ajay acknowledged he had been in numerous fights in the past but preferred not to share details, although he admitted to occasionally using a hockey stick, which he kept in his car. Reflecting on these times, Ajay said, “I am calm now and don’t fight anymore. I feel it’s a waste of time; the other person is the only one who would get hurt, so I avoid fights.”
In the interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, Ajay discussed how today’s actors often seem like “boys” rather than “men.” According to him, building a physique alone doesn’t make someone a “man”—it’s about attitude and approach. Rohit added that audiences used to cheer when action stars like Akshay Kumar or Sunny Deol performed incredible stunts because they genuinely believed they could. He felt that this connection is lacking with today’s stars.
Ajay Devgn, who made his debut with Phool Aur Kaante (1991) and went on to star in iconic action films like Jigar, Vijaypath, Suhaag, and the Singham series, continues to bring the “real man” persona to his roles. Singham Again, the latest film in the series, has grossed an impressive ₹192.5 crore within just nine days of release.
