Jyothi Venkatesh Pays Tribute To The Departed Soul Of Ajay Devgan’s Father Veeru Devgan Who Died Yesterday

Alas. The producer-director-action director father of super star Ajay Devgn breathed his last yesterday after suffering from a cardiac arrest at the age of just 77. I remember Veeru Devgan who was the No 1 action master during the 80’s and 90’s calling me on my landline and telling me excitedly that his son Vishal was all set to make his debut as a leading man with producer Dinesh Patel and director Kuku Kohli’s film Phool Aur Kaante shortly. Veeru wanted to not only celebrate the feat but also introduce his son to me officially for an interview at his house. I had earlier met the introvert and brooding Vishal oops Raju oops Ajay Devgn who was nicknamed the odd boy with a long nose by the journalists at the party at the Hotel Sun N Sand to celebrate the completion of his maiden film Phool Aur Kaante.

Though it has been a long time since I actually could meet up with Veeru who was not keeping good health, I was shocked and sad when the news trickled in yesterday morning that Veeru had died at Surya hospital in Santa Cruz where he was being treated for the last so many days. Veeru was just ten years elder to me. With films like Dharti Ki Godh Mein, Mr Natwarlal, Tridev, Mr India, Kranti, Roop Ki Rani, Choron Ka Raja, Himmatwala, Loha, Khatronke Khilari, Dilwale, Shehanshah and last but not the least Phiool Aur Kaante which marked the debut of his son Ajay Devgn on top of two motorcycles, Veeru was the cynosure of every eye and was waiting for the day when he could launch his own son as a leading man in Bollywood. Veeru Devgan has worked as stunt director in more than 80 films, with several stars, including Dharmendra, Dilip Kumar, Vinod Khanna and Jeetendra.

The day I had gone to his house for dinner to meet his son Ajay, on Veeru’s invitation, Veeru had actually taken time off from a stunt rehearsal and present at home for two hours with me in the presence of his son Ajay. Veeru had specially brought a bottle of scotch for me and opened it. While Veeru and I were drinking, I asked Ajay to join us and after a lot of coaxing he opted for chilled beer. Like a fond father, Veeru was present in the same room at his house, when I interviewed Ajay. It was his first ever interview to the press and as usual he was tongue- tied and a boy of a few words as he was an introvert. Though I could not make him an extrovert, I succeeded in making him my friend. After excusing himself profusely, Veeru left us and I asked Ajay if he would like to have scotch at least now, after his father had let home and he left his beer glass and opted to have scotch.

The next time Veeru rang me up was when he was throwing a party to launch the completion of his ambitious directorial venture Hindustan Ki Kasam starring Ajay, Amitabh Bachchan, Sushmita Sen and Manisha Koirala. Veeru invited me to attend the party at the Hotel Centaur and asked me to be with his son, who he had christened Vishal only because he was a great fan of Manoj Kumar on whose Kranti he had worked, though by now he had become a big star and actually did not need the ‘crutch’ of a journalist friend like me to tackle the press

Like his son Ajay, Veeru was also a man of few words though like every Punjabi, he too was quite a boisterous guy in the company of his friends. It was thanks to Veeru’s way of bringing up his son Ajay that till today Ajay continues to be very humble. In fact I have never seen him smoking any cigarette in front of his parents though Ajay is a chain smoker even when he sets out to give interview to us scribes before the release of every film of his.

Over the last few years, the veteran action master was rarely seen making public appearances. He was last seen in public in earlier in February this year when he had attended the special screening of son Ajay Devgn-starrer 'Total Dhamaal' at a Mumbai theatre. Action choreographer Sham Kaushal, who was earlier a colleague to Veeru Devgan, remembers the veteran and has fond memories of Veeru having helped in many times professionally. Sham Kaushal, who incidentally, like Veeru is also the father of a star son like Vicky Kaushal, looks back at the days when Devgan senior was a mentor to him, and had helped him out.

The only time when I have seen talk on and on and wax eloquent was one day when I was travelling with him for his house in Juhu to Colaba where Ajay and I were headed to attend the wedding reception of Mohnish Behl. Ajay was injured in a stunt and had to carry crutches. In the over one hour journey, Ajay spoke at length about his father and how he had struggled to bring him up and his siblings and how he had dreamt of making him a star and not a stunt director.

During those days when there were no mobile phones, Veeru used to contact me on the landline though these days Ajay Devgn has become such a super star that he does not even part with his own contact number and directs anyone who wants to contact him to do so via his pr guy Parag Desai. Not many are aware of the fact that Veeru was a very helpful guy.

Shatrughan Sinha fondly remembers how Veeru had even played cupid for both of them when he was courting Poonam on the sets of Dharti Ki Godh Mein, by spiriting away his future mother in law in order to enable him to ride away with his lady love during an action scene. Shatru also remembers Veeruji as a disciplined man who sued to fast twice a week and after his retirement was very happy to devote all his time to his family and dote on his grandson Yug as a fond dadaji.

May Veeru Devgan’s soul rest in peace and may God up there give strength to Ajay and his family to help them to tide over the crisis in their lives after Veeru has left a big void.

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