Birthday Special: From Naajayaz to Raincoat, 5 Ajay Devgn films that need more attention

Picture Courtesy: Official Instagram Account, Ajay Devgn

Ajay Devgn, who celebrates his 53rd birthday today, consolidated his position in the industry right from his debut. Wait, right from his entry scene. We don't need to remind which one. Talking of the career that went ahead, he, most of the times, let his eyes do the talking. He still does. The man has completed three glorious decades in Hindi Cinema and continues to march high. But have you seen these films of the actor we'll be talking about?

Here we go:

Naajayaz (1995)

Before working with Mahesh Bhatt in Zakhm that gave him his first National Award, the actor was directed by him in the drama Naajayaz. As the tittle suggests, it was a film dealing with the trauma of a man coming to terms with the truth behind his father. It was also about a father dealing with his own internal demons and external monsters. Naajayaz could be described as Devgn's first step towards letting his eyes convey all the emotions and playing a cop without resorting to theatrics.

Lajja (2001)

Even before women empowerment was a term that began trending on social media, Rajkumar Santoshi made Damini (1993) and then Lajja (2001). It was the story of a woman emotionally tortured and harassed by her husband and in-laws, how she escapes the shackles of matrimony, embarks on a path of freedom, and meets many such tortured souls in between. In this, Devgn played a bandit filled with rage and driven by righteousness. He was a monster for the evil and a messiah for women. And in few scenes itself, established the fact how length never matter for a solid actor performing a solid part.

Deewangee (2002)

A man passionately in love is accused of murder. At first, he's naive and numb. As the narrative progresses, the truth about his psychotic demeanour begins to unravel. His split personality was nothing but a farce, leaving one and all in shock Before Anees Bazmee moved to multi-starrer comedies, he left one and all shocked by choosing such a subject too. For Devgn, a decade into the industry, he stopped surprising his fans long back. He could pull of almost anything.

Raincoat (2004)

Two lovers are separated by circumstances and united by destiny. Ajay Devgn was as dapper as ever and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as stunning as one can get. Rainfall and silences play critical roles in this gorgeous film about love and longing. This time, it was not only the leading man's eyes, but also the eyes of the woman he was once in love with, and perhaps still is.

Apaharan (2005)

Prakash Jha has indeed brought out the best in Ajay Devgn. After Gangaajal, they came together again for Apaharan. This time, Jha explored the theme of father-son conflict, greed, and politics. Devgn was sucked into the world (read web) of power and how it backfired. Nana Patekar played a scheming politician with a grin that only he could pull off. Apaharan was intense filmmaking at its best.