Rise to prominence (1991–1999) 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. In his opening scene, Devgn performed a
split while balancing between two motorcycles. 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 at the
box office. Devgn then worked with
Deepak Bahry, who directed the action film
Ek Hi Raasta, In 1994, Devgn starred in
Harry Baweja's romantic action film
Dilwale. He played the part of Arun Saxena, a man with intellectual impairment. It was the
tenth-highest-grossing film of the year. His next release was
Kanoon and then
Kuku Kohli's
Suhaag with
Akshay Kumar. The film was about two friends. Devgn played Ajay Sharma/Malhotra.
Suhaag was the seventh-highest-grossing film of the year. In 1995, Devgn appeared alongside
Juhi Chawla in
Mahesh Bhatt's
Naajayaz, which earned him his first nomination for the
Filmfare Award for Best Actor, followed by
Hulchul directed by
Milan Luthria, alongside
Kajol. Devgn and Kajol then appeared in
Gundaraj which did not perform well at the box office. with
Twinkle Khanna. He then starred in
Harry Baweja's film
Diljale, where he played a terrorist named Shaka. In 1998, Devgn starred in
Major Saab with
Amitabh Bachchan and
Sonali Bendre where he played the character of an army officer. It was a hit and the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year. He next starred with Kajol in
Anees Bazmee's second film, the romantic comedy
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, a remake of the 1995 American film
French Kiss. It grossed at the box office and emerged a superhit. Devgn's next release was
Mahesh Bhatt's drama
Zakhm, which examines communal tension in Mumbai during the
1993 Bombay riots. Devgn played a man who is fed up with religious conflict. Devgn won several awards for his critically acclaimed performance, including the
National Film Award for Best Actor and the
Screen Award for Best Actor, in addition to his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In 1999, Devgn starred in the musical romance
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, in which he played Vanraj, a man who tries to help his wife (
Aishwarya Rai) reunite with her lover (
Salman Khan).
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam marked a significant turning point in Devgn's career. The film, an adaptation of
Maitreyi Devi's Bengali novel
Na Hanyate, was directed by
Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starred
Salman Khan and
Aishwarya Rai. Devgn's performance received positive reviews from critics.
Rediff said: "Ajay's role reminds you of one he did in another film,
Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha. There he is searching for the boyfriend of the girl he secretly loves. But intense scenes are his forte and he does well here. He's particularly good in the scene where he gets exasperated with his wife's stubbornness and strives to keep his cool." The film proved to be a commercial success and earned Devgn his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. After that, he appeared in
Hindustan Ki Kasam with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre. He then worked with the director Milan Luthria in
Kachche Dhaage, with
Saif Ali Khan and
Manisha Koirala. It was a box-office hit.
Career fluctuations and critical acclaim (2000–2009) Devgn began the new decade with two biggies,
Deewane and
Raju Chacha (which he also produced). Both the films opened to mixed critical reception, but proved to be box office flops. The downturn continued in 2001 with all three of his releases, including
Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke,
Lajja and
Tera Mera Saath Rahen failing to do well commercially. 2002 proved to be a key year for Devgn as he starred in three films of contrasting genres. He first appeared in
Ram Gopal Varma's
Company which was a fictional examination of the
Mumbai underworld. The film proved to be a moderate commercial success and Devgn's performance received critical acclaim. As
Taran Adarsh reviewed: "Devgn enacts his role to perfection. A controlled performance, the actor takes to this complex character like a fish takes to water. He underplays his part with admirable ease." Devgn's next release was
David Dhawan's comedy
Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, with
Amitabh Bachchan,
Sanjay Dutt and
Aishwarya Rai. The same year, he played the role of
Bhagat Singh, in
Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic
The Legend of Bhagat Singh. His performance was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said, "Devgn has lived the role. To state that he is excellent would be an understatement. His performance is bound to win admiration from audience, besides fetching awards." The film was released on 7 June 2002 and went on to win two
National Film Awards, including the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, and three
Filmfare Awards, including the
Filmfare Award for Best Film (Critics). Despite these awards, and Devgn winning his second
National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance, the film was a box office disaster. Devgn then went on to perform in
Anees Bazmee's
Deewangee which was partially inspired by
William Diehl's novel,
Primal Fear. He jointly won the
Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) for his performance in
Company and
The Legend of Bhagat Singh, in addition to receiving his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the former. For his performance in
Deewangee, he received several awards including the
Filmfare Award for Best Villain, the
Screen Award for Best Villain and the
Zee Cine Award for Best Villain. In 2003, Devgn starred in Ram Gopal Verma's horror film
Bhoot, opposite
Urmila Matondkar. The film was appreciated critically and emerged a hit at the box office. He then starred in the action thriller
Qayamat: City Under Threat with the debutante actress,
Neha Dhupia, which proved to be an average fare. Devgn next performed in Milan Luthria's romantic film
Chori Chori, opposite
Rani Mukherji and
Sonali Bendre. This film did not succeed at the box office. Devgn's next release of the year was
Prakash Jha's
Gangaajal. The film was set in the time of the
1980 Bhagalpur blindings in
Bihar. Rediff.com said, "Ajay Devgan pulls up an ace with a part tailormade to reinforce his seething-under-the-surface angry hero image. To his credit (and the director's), he brings style and grace to a largely stereotypical, righteous protagonist. To a great extent, his presence covers up the film's patchiness in the second half." Devgn received his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. He concluded the year with
Rohit Shetty's directorial debut, the actioner
Zameen and
J. P. Dutta's
war film LOC Kargil about the
Kargil War. In 2004, Devgn was cast with
Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and
Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi's action thriller
Khakee. The film was released on 23 January 2004. It received positive reviews and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2004. In
Khakee, Devgn once again played a villain. His performance as a police officer turned murderer was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgan adds yet another feather in his cap with a performance that could've been played only by a master performer. His confrontations with Amitabh Bachchan are exemplary." He received his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain for his performance in the film. Devgn then appeared in
Indra Kumar's highly successful
sex comedy Masti and
Mani Ratnam's critically acclaimed
political action film
Yuva. He next collaborated with
Rituparno Ghosh in the relationship drama
Raincoat, with Aishwaraya Rai. The film is an adaptation of
O. Henry's
The Gift of the Magi.
Raincoat met with wide critical acclaim and won the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Devgn was praised for his performance. Rediff said: "Hesitation, desperation, humiliation – Ajay Devgn conveys them eloquently. His Manoj is no cool dude, but just another lower middle-class guy in misery, with whom none would like to switch place. He particularly stands out in the scenes where he cries in the bathroom, or begs Neeru not to marry someone else." His performance as a villain in
Kaal also earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. In 2006, Devgn played
Othello in
Omkara, a Hindi adaptation of
William Shakespeare's
Othello. It was directed by
Vishal Bhardwaj. The film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the
political system in Uttar Pradesh. It premiered at the
2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the
Cairo International Film Festival.
Omkara was well received by critics.
Rediff said: "
Othello is a tricky role, a leading man eclipsed by the villain. Yet the Moor is a brooding and compelling character, and Ajay Devgn does valiantly with his material. Omkara strips Othello of the racism, exchanging his black skin for surprisingly inconsequential half-
Brahminism. Ajay's best bits are when restrained, and while there is a bit of a seen-that feel to his character, by the time the film is over, you realise just how unflinchingly solid he's been." Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay makes a stirring and powerful interpretation of a man haunted by uncertainty about his lover's faithfulness. The serious look that Ajay carries suits him to the T. Of course, Ajay is exceptional in the film and looks every inch the character he portrays." The same year, Devgn also starred in
Rohit Shetty's
buddy comedy film Golmaal, which was a hit and spawned three sequels. In 2007, he starred in two films, director
Anubhav Sinha's
Cash and Ram Gopal Varma's
Aag, both of which were commercially unsuccessful. In 2008, Devgn starred in the
social film Halla Bol, directed by
Rajkumar Santoshi, alongside
Pankaj Kapoor and
Vidya Balan. The film is based on the life of activist
Safdar Hashmi, who was killed in 1989 by political rivals while performing in the street play
Halla Bol. The film received negative reviews and was a flop at the box office. The same year, Devgn also starred in
Rohit Shetty's third film
Sunday. He then took the lead role with Kajol in his own directorial debut film
U Me Aur Hum. Although the film flopped, it earned positive reviews for his performance as well as for his direction.
Rediff said: "His character grows, discovers both shirt-buttons and subtlety, delivering an intense acting job. Speaking almost entirely in platitudes – pithy at first, profound as he goes on – this grows into an extraordinarily well-written character, replete with flaws and relatability. The way he treats his remorse, drunkenly pointing every finger at himself around a dinner table, is superbly handled, as is his guilty struggle to delineate his life experience from his professional opinion." Devgn also made a cameo appearance in his brother
Anil Devgan's film
Haal-e-Dil. He then starred in
Afzal Khan's
Mehbooba. Again in 2008, Devgn starred in
Rohit Shetty's comedy
Golmaal Returns, a sequel to the 2006 film
Golmaal about a mistrustful wife who believed her husband was unfaithful.
The Indian Express said the screenplay was derivative, concluding: "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Ajay-Kareena play it."
Golmaal Returns was a major commercial success with global revenues of . In 2009, Devgn had two releases, Rohit Shetty's comedy film
All the Best: Fun Begins and
Vipul Amrutlal Shah's
London Dreams, which also co-starred
Salman Khan. Both the films were hugely anticipated before release, but due to negative critical reception,
All the Best could only manage average business, while the latter was a commercial failure.
Prolonged success (2010–present) at the success bash of
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai in 2010 at success party of
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai in 2010 In 2010, Devgn featured in the financially successful comedy
Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? with
Paresh Rawal and
Konkona Sen Sharma. He then featured in
Prakash Jha's political thriller
Raajneeti.
Raajneeti was released internationally on 4 June 2010, after some controversies regarding similarities between actual people and the characters in the film. There were also issues about the use of the national anthem in the film. The film was made with a budget of At release, it received positive reviews and emerged a superhit at the box office. Again, in 2010, Devgn starred in
Milan Luthria's
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, which was among the
top-grossing films of that year. Both the film and Devgn's performance were well received by the critics.
Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgn is splendid as Sultan. The actor had enacted a similar role in
Company, but it must be said that his interpretation is so different in
Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai. He adds so much depth to the character, which only goes to prove his range and versatility. This is, without a trace of doubt, Ajay's finest work so far."
Komal Nahta said: "Ajay Devgn is simply fantastic in the role of
Sultan Mirza. So real is his performance that it looks like he was born to play this role. Right from his look to his acting including dialogue-delivery, everything is fabulous. Indeed, an award-winning performance!" The film earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Devgn then starred in
Priyadarshan's action-thriller film
Aakrosh which explores the subject of
honour killings.
Aakrosh received some positive reviews, but was financially unsuccessful. At the end of 2010, Devgn worked again with Rohit Shetty in
Golmaal 3, a sequel to
Golmaal Returns (2008). Although, like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews, it was the most successful of the
Golmaal series, earning more than and emerging a blockbuster. Devgn also worked as an actor and voice artist in
Toonpur Ka Superrhero, a
live action animated film. In 2011, Devgn performed with
Emraan Hashmi in
Madhur Bhandarkar's comedy
Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. He was a narrator in
Yamla Pagla Deewana and also made a cameo appearance in
Ready. Devgn starred in Rohit Shetty's
Singham. Taran Adarsh said: "The title means 'Lion' and Ajay is in the centre of the battle between good and evil. Ajay is well known for the lines, "
aataa maajhi satakli". The embodiment of screen masculinity, Ajay enacts the central character of a righteous, hardhearted cop with flourish. He brings alive on screen a larger-than-life hero character with determined conviction, which renders you thunderstruck. One of the few actors who underplays his part admirably, he returns to the over-the-top-action genre of films with this one. In a nutshell, his performance plays a pivotal role in carrying the film to the winning post."
Singham earned him his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He then starred
David Dhawan's
action comedy film Rascals. The following year, Devgn starred in
Tezz, directed by
Priyadarshan. His co-stars were
Anil Kapoor,
Boman Irani,
Kangana Ranaut,
Sameera Reddy and
Zayed Khan. Devgn then starred in Rohit Shetty's film
Bol Bachchan. He then starred in
Son of Sardaar. In 2013, Devgn featured in the critically and commercially unsuccessful
Himmatwala, a remake of the
1983 film of the same name. Devgn next featured in Prakash Jha's political drama
Satyagraha. In 2014, Devgn featured in Rohit Shetty's
Singham Returns, a sequel to
Singham.
Singham Returns received mixed reviews from Indian critics. Taran Adarsh of
Bollywood Hungama gave it 4 stars and said: "The film is a complete
mass entertainer with power-packed drama, hi-intensity dialogue and towering performances as its aces. The brand value attached to it coupled with a long weekend will help the film reap a harvest and rule the box office in days to come." It had dollections of over on the first day of its release in India with a domestic net of . Devgn next featured in
Prabhu Deva's
Action Jackson which did not perform well at box office. In 2015, Devgn starred in
Drishyam, directed by
Nishikant Kamat. The film received positive reviews, Meena Iyer of
The Times of India gave the film four out of five stars, describing it as "A
suspense drama with a nail-biting finish." She praised Devgn's performances: "Ajay, who is the prey here, shines in his role of the protective father." The film was successful at the box office, by the end of its sixth week, the film had grossed about at the domestic box office. during the trailer launch of their film
Baadshaho in 2017 In 2016, Devgn was seen in his own production,
Shivaay, which released around
Diwali 2016.
Shivaay is an action drama movie. Shivaay opened to mixed reviews and grossed more than . In 2017, Devgn featured in director Milan Luthria's
Baadshaho and Rohit Shetty's
Golmaal Again. While
Baadshaho flopped, the latter emerged a blockbuster collecting 100 crores in 4 days of its release and a lifetime collection of 205 crores at the Indian box office while making a hefty 310 crores at worldwide box office. In 2018, Devgn starred in
Raj Kumar Gupta's
Raid where he plays the role of an honest
Indian Revenue Service officer, which released to positive critical feedback on 16 March, and was a commercial success. Devgn has long been working on producing
Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi, a sequel to
Son of Sardaar. In August 2017, Devgn stated: "We are working on the script but it won't happen for another two years because of the scale of the project." He starred in
De De Pyaar De alongside
Tabu and
Rakul Preet Singh. In early 2020, Devgn portrayed the role of 17th-century military leader
Tanaji Malusare in an eponymously titled film,
Tanhaji; directed by
Om Raut. The film was released on 10 January 2020 and went on to win three
National Film Awards, including the
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and
Best Actor, both for Devgn, in addition to his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Tanhaji earned Rs 3.67 billion ($49 million) worldwide, making it the
highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2020. Moreover, it marks Ajay Devgn's 100th film as an actor. In 2021, he starred alongside
Sanjay Dutt,
Sharad Kelkar,
Nora Fatehi and
Sonakshi Sinha in a
historical film based on the
Indo-Pakistani war of 1971,
Bhuj: The Pride of India, it was a critical failure. He had a cameo in Rohit Shetty's
Sooryavanshi, reprising his role as
DCP Bajirao Singham from the
Singham film series, now expanded into
Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe. at the second trailer launch of
Runway 34 in Delhi. In 2022, Devgn made his OTT debut with the web series,
Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, on
Disney+ Hotstar. The same year, he released his third directorial,
Runway 34. It received positive reviews from both the critics and audience, but failed on the box office. He was also seen in extended cameo appearances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's
Gangubai Kathiawadi and
S. S. Rajamouli's
RRR, for which he received high praise. Later that year, Devgn was seen as
Chitragupt in
Indra Kumar's
Thank God, which also starred
Sidharth Malhotra, which turned out to be a commercial failure. Later he starred in the sequel to
Drishyam,
Drishyam 2, directed by
Abhishek Pathak. It became a major critical and commercial success, along with becoming his second highest-grossing film of his career, after
Tanhaji. The following year, Devgn starred and directed the Hindi remake of the Tamil film
Kaithi (2019),
Bholaa, his third directorial. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment. In 2024, Devgn had four major releases. The first was the horror film
Shaitaan, which received a favorable response from critics and emerged a huge hit at the box office. He then appeared in
Amit Ravindernath Sharma's third directorial venture
Maidaan, which saw him portraying Indian football coach
Syed Abdul Rahim. Although the biopic and Devgn's performance received highly positive reviews, the film was a financial failure. His next release,
Neeraj Pandey's
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha was also a
box office flop, this time to mixed to negative reviews. Devgn's final release of that year, the fifth installment of Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe, the actioner
Singham Again took an initial of ₹437 million and collected worldwide. Despite underperforming at the box office, it emerging as his highest-grossing movie as well as the
sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2024. In 2025, Devgn did a guest appearance in his nephew Aaman Devgn's debut film
Azaad, directed by
Abhishek Kapoor. His first major release of the year,
Raid 2, a sequel to his 2018 release
Raid, emerged as a box-office hit, ranking as one of the
highest-grossing Hindi films of the year. He next appeared in
Son of Sardaar 2, a
spiritual sequel to 2012 film
Son of Sardaar. Released on 25 August, it opened to unfavorable critical reception and
bombed at the box office. His next release,
De De Pyaar De 2, a direct sequel to his 2019 film, also did not do well commercially. == Other works ==