Is Ajay Devgn dethroning Akshay Kumar as Bollywood’s new Khiladi?

Do you know why Akshay Kumar is known as Bollywood’s Khiladi? Because of his Khiladi film series? Nope. Also, not because of his stunts anymore, but his reputation for recent box-office flops as an actor. He used to be brilliant in comedy, action, and thriller genres, but too many films in too little time dented his reputation. Now, his fans watch his films more for box-office stats than for the content.

However, it seems that Akshay Kumar is no longer the Khiladi of Bollywood, as he’s about to be dethroned by 'Singham' himself. Yes, 2024 has been full of Ajay Devgn films; while some have done well, others haven’t. Ajay Devgn may be everywhere right now, but at 55, he could learn from Amitabh Bachchan and pace himself so he doesn’t have to work hard in his second innings.

Yes, he did the extraordinary Shaitaan this year, but that was mostly Madhavan; his sports biopic Maidaan and thriller Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha were well-made entities but couldn’t make a massive difference to his career. They failed to recover costs—a significant setback for Ajay, whose latest release, Singham Again, made a staggering INR 200 crores in its first week.

Ajay Devgn with Akshay KumarInstagram

There are many reasons behind the success of Singham Again, which is still playing in cinemas. However, the kind of projects he is currently part of will likely dent his career, just like some Akshay Kumar movies that should never have been made. What are these movies, and why can they damage the talented Ajay Devgn? Let’s try to find out.

Naam

Evolution is both good and bad; good if you learn from it, bad if you don’t. Director Anees Bazmee and Ajay Devgn fall in the second category because they would not have released the teaser if they had been a little wiser. The film began shooting in 2004—20 years ago – was first scheduled to release in 2008 – 16 years ago – and will hopefully hit the screen this month.

Why release the film now? The answer may be simple economics. Since Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again and Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 did well this Diwali, the producers are attempting to cash in on Singham-BB3 fever and release Naam. They forgot that much time has passed since the film was shot, and Ajay Devgn looks unrecognizable even to his most ardent fans.

When the film was shot, Bhumika Chawla and Sameera Reddy were rising stars, and Ajay Devgn hadn’t met Rohit Shetty. However, Bhumika Chawla is nowhere two decades later, and so is Sameera Reddy. Many in the audience might not even realize they were once Bollywood VIPs. As for Ajay Devgn, Golmaal and Singham happened for him, and now he is amongst the most bankable stars in Bollywood.

Naam seems like a rip-off of The Bourne Identity, where the protagonist suffers from amnesia and embarks on a journey to rediscover his identity. The stunts, performances, and music feel stuck in 2004—a potential setback in 2024. Ajay Devgn shouldn’t be surprised if this film fails to make an impact.

Azaad

This January, Ajay Devgn returns with Azaad, a mix of Black Beauty, Lagaan, Sholay, and Thugs of Hindostan, in which he will not be the leading man for a change. He should make those kinds of decisions since they will be good for both him and the two youngsters he will introduce through the film.

Introducing Raveena Tandon’s daughter, Rasha Thadani, and his nephew, Aaman Devgan, the film will have them both fall in love at a time when the British ruled India, and every freedom fighter who stood against them was nothing short of a hero. Azaad here is the name of the majestic horse Ajay Devgn’s freedom fighter rides, and one hopes they carry the weight of expectations into the sunset.

Son of Sardar 2

When Son of Sardar hit screens in 2012, it was neither the funniest flick nor a trendsetter. The makers attempted to replicate the success ofSingh is Kinng, where Akshay Kumar nailed the role of a village idiot. Ajay Devgn’s film wasn’t that funny, despite the presence of Sanjay Dutt, so to expect the sequel to be funny would be too much. Let’s hope Ajay Devgn does something new in this flick or risk damaging his box-office legacy.

Raid 2

When Raid was released in 2018, Ajay Devgn’s star power and the theme of white-collar crime made it a hit. Hopefully, the sequel will continue the excellent work of IRS officer Amay Patnaik (played by Ajay Devgn), who tracks another white-collar crime in another city. The film will also star Riteish Deshmukh in a serious role, raising the audience’s expectations.

De De Pyaar De 2

Before the pandemic, when life was simple and fun, Ajay Devgn, Tabu, and Rakul Preet Singh teamed up for De De Pyaar De, in which Ajay’s character took his girlfriend to meet his family. It was enjoyable because he was over 50, and his girlfriend was under 30.

Six years later, he is expected to meet his girlfriend's father; this time, he is 55. Expect some entertaining age-gap dynamics with her father, played by Madhavan. This film should be it if one has to be excited about an Ajay Devgn flick.

Golmaal 5

The last time Ajay Devgn and his Golmaal buddies joined hands, they had to fight a supernatural entity to make the audience laugh. However, Rohit Shetty had to copy many films, and one hopes that the next film in the franchise is more original and less copycat. Only then can the Golmaal franchise be saved; otherwise, Rohit Shetty’s other franchise, the Copverse one, might overshadow it.

The Golmaal gangInstagram

With Naam releasing in cinemas,Ajay Devgn’s future might not seem that bright right now, but nothing is certain. If one film clicks, the rest will click, too. He’ll need to promote these films as aggressively as Singham Again, and hope that the audience follows his lead so that he can succeed.