While Fawad Khan continues to charm the audience on both sides of the border, with his work and his sartorial choices, other old-school Bollywood stars are also emerging back on the film scene. A case in point: Ajay Devgn. Staying out of the limelight for a while now, the actor/producer has been quietly working on his directorial venture, Shivaay - which also stars Pak-Canadian actor Ali Kazmi.
The actor, who has been shooting in Bulgaria for his next, flew back to India to receive the award from President Pranab Mukherjee earlier this month. When Devgn heard about the honour, he expressed his joy and said on the occasion: "I feel deeply humbled yet elated to receive such an honour from my own country. This announcement today makes it special for me when I'm filming abroad for my new film Shivaay. I'd like to acknowledge that Padma Samman puts an extra responsibility on me and I promise to serve my country for as long as I can."
The other Bollywood star honoured with Padma Shri was actor/reactor Anupam Kher, let’s just leave it there. Moving on, the bigger news than Padma Shri perhaps are the rumours about Devgn is potentially starring with Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan after more than a decade. Not all their films worked but from the ones that did took your breath away, Raincoat and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, in particular, stand out.
The story goes that the two may star in Milan Luthria's next project. A source quoted in Mid-Day revealed: “The makers have met Aishwarya a couple of times and are waiting for a go-ahead from her. She has liked the script and just might sign the film. If all goes well, Ash and Ajay will reunite on the big screen almost 12 years after their last films together, Raincoat and Khakee (both 2004)."
But before that happens, Devgn and Rai-Bachchan will clash at the box office later this year. Dvegn’s Shivaay comes out on the same day as K.Jo’s multi-starrer Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which features Rai-Bachchan alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Fawad Khan, Imran Abbas and Saif Ali Khan (in a special cameo).