Ajay Devgn: I prefer helming films that are not easy to make

Ajay Devgn. Pic/Sameer Markande

For someone who initially aspired to be a director until fate took him down a different road, Ajay Devgn doesn't take his place behind the camera as frequently as he would like. But when the material of Runway 34 was being developed, the actor instinctively knew he wanted to helm it as well. "When flights [encounter] turbulence, the drama of what the pilots go through is interesting. When I started working on the script, the drama came out effectively," says Devgn. The aviation thriller sees him as a pilot who is being investigated after his flight has a close shave. "My character is grey; he is intelligent, but does things his way. Initially, you feel he has done everything wrong, owing to his arrogance. But slowly, things start unfolding."

Devgn's third directorial venture also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Rakul Preet Singh. Directing Bachchan is every filmmaker's dream. Having shared screen space with the megastar in several movies, did Devgn wonder about directing him some day? "I can't go to him with a movie, saying, ‘Sir, mere liye yeh role kar lijiye'. He is a legend. So, you have to give him a character that justifies his stature. Considering the character in Runway 34, and the conflicts between our parts, I could not see anyone else in that role. I would have been lost if he hadn't said yes to the film."

For the parallel lead, Devgn "couldn't see anyone" except Bachchan

Every movie is a learning experience. When asked about the lessons he applied from his previous directorial ventures, U Me Aur Hum (2008) and Shivaay (2016), the actor-director says, "The first two films were more personal. U Me Aur Hum was about a husband-wife [relationship], while Shivaay was about a father-daughter bond. Runway 34 is based on a true incident. I prefer helming films that are not easy to make. It's not easy to shoot in a cockpit. We created a 6x6 cockpit for key scenes. I didn't want a bigger space as it would look fake. I wanted the claustrophobia to come across on screen. Filming in such a tight space, and yet retaining the thrill was challenging."

Even as he counts the days to the Eid release, Devgn has begun work on his next directorial offering. "I'm working on a script. [It may roll] next year, or the year after. It will be an action-drama."