Ajay Devgn couldn't have wished for a better start to the year — his ambitious project, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, is racing towards the Rs 200-crore mark and may soon become his highest grosser to date. "The first week of January is considered jinxed for movies, but I am happy that our gamble paid off," says the actor, as the Saif Ali Khan and Kajol starrer continues its undeterred run in its third week.

It was easy to see that Devgn had complete faith in the story he was telling — he not only dedicated the past two years to the period piece but also backed the big-budget drama. If the artiste in him is creatively satisfied to have portrayed the role of Maratha general Tanaji Malusare in the biopic, the producer in him notes that the smashing success has given a boost to his plans of creating a franchise on India's unsung heroes. "The unsung warrior franchise has now found feet. These are real stories [of valour] that need to reach far and wide. My production house is committed to this franchise, though as an actor, I may not be in every film. Regardless of my presence in the films, [we won't compromise on] the scale and technology. We will have bigger budgets."