The Deols and the Devgns go back a long way. Their relationship dates back to the time when Ajay Devgn’s father, late filmmaker Veeru Devgan, choreographed action for Sunny and Bobby Deol’s father, Dharmendra. And now, the bond has turned into a professional one with Ajay coming on board as a presenter of Velle, which stars Sunny’s elder son, Karan.
“Sunny, Bobby and Ajay are like brothers. So, when Karan and Abhay [Deol] came aboard the crime drama, Sunny and the makers were keen to have Ajay present the film. Also, Ajay is one of the successful names in the industry. Sunny Deol himself is a brand, and the combination of Sunny, his son, Karan, and Ajay enhances the value of the movie and makes a big difference to the marketing. People are impressed with the way Ajay’s Bhuj: The Pride Of India has shaped up with the actor being involved in its making — right from shoot to sitting on the editing table for the trailer. Om Raut’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior was produced by Ajay and it turned out to be one of the highest grossers of 2020. Apart from Bhuj, Ajay has some big projects in his kitty — Mayday, Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi (cameo), Gangubai Kathiawadi (cameo), RRR (cameo), Maidaan, Thank God, and his debut web series, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness. Many producers and studios are excited about Ajay being associated with their projects,” says a source.
Adding further the source says Sunny considers Ajay as his younger brother. So, when the talks came up about approaching Ajay to present Velle, Sunny told the makers he would speak to him personally. “Sunny dropped in to meet Ajay and requested him to come on board as a presenter. While there’s talk that Ajay may come charge a certain fee, if he gives his nod, it will also be for emotional reasons as he is close to the Deols. But Ajay will only present the movie and not act in it. His name is enough to raise the brand equity of a movie. Plus, Sunny and Ajay, are similar in nature — shy, aloof and completely work-focussed, and are involved in the making of a movie right from the word go.”
Directed by Deven Munjal, Velle is produced by Rajiv Malhotra and Deepak Sharma (Intercut Entertainment) and Rajnish Khanuja and co-produced by Sunil Saini. The movie, which is an official adaptation of Telugu crime comedy, Brochevarevarura, also features one more actor apart from Karan and Abhay.
The shooting of Velle began in Ghaziabad last week. “It’s a start-to-finish schedule and will be shot completely in Uttar Pradesh as the makers intend to wrap it up by August. Velle is about a young girl instigating her three college friends to stage her kidnapping. How this impacts their lives along with that of an aspiring director, Vishal, and actress, Shalini, forms the crux of the narrative,” the source reveals.
Last month, on Veeru Devgan's 87th birth anniversary, Dharmendra had penned a special note expressing his love for Ajay and senior Devgn. “Ajay, love you my son. Be happy, healthy and strong. Your papa, was my most affectionate companion. He will always be remembered with great love and respect,” Dharmendra wrote.
Ajay and Sunny have worked together in movies like Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke, Yamla Pagla Deewana (Ajay was the narrator), and both the actors gave voice (Ajay as Arjun and Sunny as Bhima) for the animated Mahabharat directed by Aman Khan. This is Karan's second Bollywood outing after his 2020 debut, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas.
