Ajay Devgn

Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director, and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema.

A leading actor of Hindi cinema, Devgn has appeared in over 100 films and has won numerous accolades, including four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards.

Devgn emerged a star with his first film, the 1991 action romance Phool Aur Kaante, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.

As Devgn entered the film industry in 1991, he changed his stage name from his birth name, Vishal, to "Ajay" due to several other actors named Vishal being launched at the same time, including Manoj Kumar's son.

He began his professional career alongside Madhoo in the action romance Phool Aur Kaante, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.

In his opening scene, Devgn performed a split while balancing between two motorcycles.

He played further action roles in the films Jigar (1992), Vijaypath (1994), Dilwale (1994), Jaan (1996) and Diljale (1996), and romantic roles in Ishq (1997), Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999).

Devgn began a relationship with the actress Karisma Kapoor while filming Jigar (1992), however, the couple ended their relationship in 1995.

His next film was Jigar (1992), a Bollywood martial arts film co-starring Karisma Kapoor.

It was released on Diwali weekend and became the seventh-highest-grossing film of that year, taking inr 70000000 at the box office.

In 1993, Devgn starred in Dil Hai Betaab, a film about a revengeful love triangle.

He next featured in Divya Shakti and then Sangram, a story of enmity between two fathers.

Devgn then worked with Deepak Bahry, who directed the action film Ek Hi Raasta, and with Deepak Pawar, who directed Platform.

Other releases that year were Shaktiman, Dhanwan and Bedardi.

In 1994, Devgn starred in Harry Baweja's romantic action film Dilwale.

He played the part of Arun Saxena, a man with intellectual impairment.

The movie was the tenth-highest-grossing movie of the year.

That same year, Devgn's relationship with the actress, Kajol, began whilst they were co-starring in Gundaraj (1995).

The media called them "an unlikely pair" due to their contrasting personalities.

For playing a riot victim in Zakhm (1998) and Bhagat Singh in The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), he twice won the National Film Award for Best Actor.

On 24 February 1999, the couple married in a traditional Maharashtrian Hindu ceremony at the Devgan home.

The couple has two children.

Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms, which was established in 2000.

He also gained praise for the crime dramas Company (2002) and Omkara (2006).

Their daughter, Nysa, was born in 2003 and their son, Yug, was born in 2010.

Devgn and Kajol stored their newborn son's umbilical cord blood and tissues to act as a source of stem cells in case of serious ailment.

After expanding to comedies with Rohit Shetty's Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Devgn collaborated with Shetty on a number of action and comedy films, including Golmaal Returns (2008), Golmaal 3 (2010), Singham (2011), Singham Returns (2014), and Golmaal Again (2017).

He has also starred in and directed the films U Me Aur Hum (2008), Runway 34 (2022), and Bholaa (2023).

He is married to actress Kajol, with whom he has two children.

Devgn was born to a Punjabi Hindu family originally from Amritsar, Punjab.

The family has connections to the Hindi film industry in Mumbai.

Devgn's father, Veeru Devgan, was a stunt choreographer and action-film director and his mother, Veena, is a film producer.

His cousin, Anil Devgan, is a filmmaker and screenwriter.

Devgn graduated from the Silver Beach High School in Juhu and then studied at Mithibai College.

In August 2009, Devgn changed the spelling of his surname Devgan to Devgn, at the request of his family.

He is a practicing Shaiva Hindu who prominently wears a Rudraksha which, along with other religious themes, features in his films.

Devgn was the first Bollywood personality to own a private jet for transport to shooting locations, to promotions and for personal trips.

In 2016, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour.

His highest-grossing releases came with Total Dhamaal (2019), Tanhaji (2020) and Drishyam 2 (2022).

For portraying the title role in Tanhaji, he won this third National Film Award for Best Actor.