Buying film's rights is like paying tribute: Ajay Devgn

Mumbai: If one is inspired by a movie, its rights should be bought to make one’s own version, actor Ajay Devgn suggests, adding this is akin to paying a tribute to that work. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Gol Maal inspires his forthcoming film Bol Bachchan, which he has co-produced with Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. [caption id=“attachment_356014” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Raju Shelar/Firstpost”]  [/caption] “A lot of people told us that we didn’t need to buy the rights. But ideally, if a film inspires you, you need to buy the rights. It is just ethical. It is like giving a tribute,” Ajay told IANS. Directed by Rohit Shetty, Bol Bachchan is an action comedy. While Amol Palekar, Bindiya Goswami and Utpal Dutt featured in the 1979 hit film, the modern version will see Ajay along with Abhishek Bachchan and Asin Thottumkal tickling the funny bone of the audiences. Ajay plays landlord Prithviraj Raghuvanshi who loves to talk in English but does not know the language. His lack of knowledge adds to the comic flavour in the film. “My character is of a wrestler. He is practically what you call a ‘zamindaar’ of the town. He loves to speak in English and likes to believe that he knows English really well. But he doesn’t speak it well. People are scared of him, so no one tells him that,” he added. Talking about box-office performance of Bol Bachchan, Ajay said that he is confident that people will like it. “I think Bol Bachchan has shaped up well and whatever the audience wants, they will get to see in the film. I think it’s a complete entertainer. The movie will make you laugh, plus the action is also good. People will like it,” he said. From action to comedy to drama — Ajay has stepped into various kinds of roles over the years and says he has no inhibitions about playing any character. “I don’t have inhibitions about doing anything. If it suits the character, I do it,” he said. “For Bol Bachchan, I had to put on a little weight. In Singham, I was very lean. I just gained a little muscle. I ate whatever I wanted to eat,” he added. Ajay’s and Shetty’s camaraderie started in 2003 when the duo teamed up for the latter’s first film Zameen, which also starred Abhishek. Though Ajay and Shetty stayed together, Abhishek is joining them after nine years. Talking about Abhishek, Ajay said it took some time for him to get into their groove. “We really had to push Abhishek to get into our zone of comedy timing. But this was the demand of the script. It took him a day or two and then he settled down. It was fun. We were very comfortable with each other,” the 43-year-old said. Amitabh Bachchan has also been roped in for a song in the movie and Ajay says, “The song was Rohit’s idea.” Ajay has been associated with the film industry for over two decades and has given many commercially successful films like his debut film Phool Aur Kaante followed by Ishq, Major Saab, “Zakhm”, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Company, Golamaal series and Raajneeti. He feels that the best change in the film industry is the fact that it has gone global, but at the same time he feels that now making a movie has become an expensive affair and even when a film earns the Rs 100 crore-mark at the box office, it only manages to break even. “The biggest positive change is that we are going global. Markets and theatres are increasing now. But the worst change is that more budgets are required. There are films which are doing a business of Rs 100 crore and still just breaking even,” he said. IANS