Ajay Devgn reveals why he opted out of Kamal Haasan's Indian 2

Ajay Devgn, Pic/PTI

Late last year, reports suggested that Ajay Devgn may make his Tamil debut with Shankar's Indian 2. It was heard that the actor was approached to play the antagonist to Kamal Haasan's moral vigilante in the sequel to the 1996 hit, Indian. While the rumours died a natural death, there is renewed chatter about Devgn being South-bound after all - this time, with the Baahubali maker, SS Rajamouli. Buzz is that the actor will be seen in the director's mega-budget film, tentatively titled RRR, that features Ram Charan Teja and NT Rama Rao Jr.

With the spotlight on his possible South collaborations, Devgn - currently neck-deep in the promotions of Total Dhamaal - opens up for the first time on why he had to let go of the Haasan starrer. "I would have loved to do Shankar's movie, but I didn't have the dates. He wanted to shoot the movie right now. [But] I am stuck with Taanaji."

Kajal Aggarwal, Kamal Haasan and Shankar at the launch of Indian 2

Although rumours had then suggested that the actor had turned the film down as he was not keen on portraying a grey character, he insists it cannot be further from the truth. "For an artiste, there are no shades of grey, black or white - the more layers you have in a role, the better it is. I loved doing movies like Khakee (2004) and Company (2002) where my negative characters were appreciated. I would love to play such roles again. [Having said that], I cannot say if it [the part in Indian 2] was grey or not because I am not doing it now; it's somebody else's role."

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Not surprisingly, the actor turns evasive when the conversation steers towards his rumoured outing with Rajamouli. Ask him about the project, and he offers a pithy, "No comments."

SS Rajamouli

However, a trade source reveals that Devgn, who had previously done the Hindi voice-over for Rajamouli's Makkhi (2012), is in advanced talks for the action drama. "Ajay has been approached for a pivotal role. It's not a cameo as has been reported. While Rajamouli has begun the first schedule with Ram Charan and NTR Jr, Ajay is likely to shoot his portions after wrapping up Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior."

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