Milan Luthria talks about his long-standing friendship with Ajay Devgn; reveals the actor is a ‘very dangerous prankster’ – Exclusive |

Milan Luthriathe acclaimed filmmaker known for his stylish and impactful movies, recently opened up about his enduring friendship with Ajay Devgn in an exclusive interview with ETimes. The director and actor duo has worked together in films like, ‘raw clothes‘, ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai’, ‘Baadshaho’ and others.
When asked if Ajay Devgn is a prankster on the sets, Milan shared, “Yes, he is very dangerous.We had created ghosts and all that. Ajay, his makeup man, myself and one of my assistants. He hatched the plan and I suggested some modifications. The ghost was controlled by a walkie-talkie so there was not an issue of timing going off. It was a female ghost. The girls in the unit wouldn’t sleep. They would be screaming. And so would the ADs and older actors. We would shoot for twelve hours. Then have fun for six hours and then sleep for 5-6 hours. At 7:15 am, we would be in the cars. Throughout the filming, Ajay, Saif, and I would go in the same car. We would take turns driving. No driver, no convoy.”

Shedding some light on their friendship and how they met, Luthria added, “The first time I met him, I had gone to discuss some costumes of Bhatt Saab’s film. Ajay met me nicely and sat down. Slowly, both of us realized that we had a friendship that couldn’t be described. It’s a strange and beautiful thing. It was like that from Day one.”

Elaborating further, the director added, “I had narrated another subject to him. At that time, he was the loaded guy – money, expensive rum, gin, vodka, etc. In the evenings, we would go to him because we had no money. He used to sit with us for a couple of drinks and smokes and then go home. He would not tell his father that he was drinking.”
The filmmaker also shared, “Once I asked him, “Can I plan a film with you?” He said, “Done. I’ll do your film.” It took time because he was doing multiple films but he kept his word. Some relationships are like where you sit quietly without saying much. You could casually meet for tea and stuff. Even while working with each other we never had differences of opinions and disagreements. He understands me with just a look.”

He added, “Sometimes, from behind the camera, I would suggest he do it subtly or do it loudly. He understands it in a second. I don’t know how but I’m happy because this is rare in the film industry and even in life. Rarely do you meet someone like this. We may not speak for six months or meet for a year but that rapport is still there.”
“I met him in London a few months ago. His family was staying in the same hotel as I was. I came back from shopping and he was standing right in front of me. We started off where we had left. It’s lovely. A lot of respect, gratitude and joy when I am with him,” he concluded.