Deadpan humour has become Ajay Devgn’s trademark. Here’s a look at the roles that turned him into one of Bollywood’s most unexpected comedy stars.
Key Points
- Ajay Devgn, initially an action hero, has successfully transitioned into a prominent comedy actor, headlining multiple successful franchises.
- His comedic style is characterised by deadpan humour and a generous approach to ensemble acting, allowing co-stars to shine.
- The Golmaal franchise played a crucial role in establishing his comedic prowess.
If you travelled back in time to the ’90s and told any movie buff that Ajay Devgn would one day headline not one, but two hugely successful comedy franchises, there’s a good chance they would laugh in your face.
This is by no means an insult to Ajay Devgn as an actor. Back then, he was primarily known for his action roles, with his evolution into a serious performer beginning in the late ’90s through films like Zakhm (which won him his first National Award for Best Actor) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
But even when he ventured into lighter fare with films like Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha and Ishq, those efforts were often overlooked despite the successes of the last two. In fact in Ishq, he was often upstaged by Aamir Khan, who was better in sync with the loud energy of Indra Kumar’s dramedy.
The Ajay Devgn we see today has undergone something of a comic revolution. I wouldn’t place him among the best comedy performers. He doesn’t possess Akshay Kumar’s flexibility in the genre or Shah Rukh Khan’s effortless flair for witty banter.
What Devgn has done commendably for himself, however, is recognise his limitations as a comic actor and turn them into strengths. Deadpan humour has become his trademark. What’s equally admirable is how generously he plays within an ensemble, rarely trying to overshadow his co-stars and instead feeding off their comic energy to elevate his own performance.
The result has been the success of films like the Golmaal franchise, All the Best: Fun Begins, Total Dhamaal and Son of Sardaar.
Ajay Devgn tickles our funny bones once again in Indra Kumar’s Dhamaal 4, and Sreeju Sudhakaran ranks his 10 funniest performances to date, from fairly amusing to downright hilarious.
10. Golmaal 3 (2010)
Rohit Shetty deserves enormous credit for reinventing Ajay Devgn as an actor who could shine in comedy, provided he was used well. The Golmaal franchise played a huge role in that transformation.
Golmaal 3 is undeniably funny when it wants to be (though in my opinion, it is the weakest in the franchise), but I also find Devgn the least interesting part of it.
Sure, his rough-and-tough persona stands out, but the humour surrounding his character rarely moves beyond his bullying streak and finger-breaking habit, while everyone else runs riot around him. He isn’t bad, but he is not as funny as the rest of the ensemble.
9. Total Dhamaal (2019)
Ajay Devgn steps in as Sanjay Dutt’s replacement in this soft reboot after Double Dhamaal failed to impress audiences as much as the ‘original’ (the usage of which feels ironical, since it was a ripoff of the 1963 Hollywood comedy It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World).
Total Dhamaal returns to the treasure-hunt chaos that made the first film so entertaining.
Devgn may not steal the show, but ensures Dutt isn’t missed while sharing an enjoyably zany camaraderie with Sanjay Mishra.
8. Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006)
The film that probably convinced Ajay Devgn he could comfortably do more comedies. He plays Gopal, the straight-faced bully of the gang who tricks an elderly blind couple into believing that he, along with Sharman Joshi’s Laxman, is their grandson.
That straight-man deadpan energy works in perfect sync within the ensemble, never standing out like a sore thumb, even when Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi and Tusshar Kapoor are delivering comic fireworks around him.
The scene where he and Arshad Warsi play the ‘blind’ couple to trick Manoj Joshi’s character is one of the funniest scenes in the film.
7. Golmaal Again (2017)
Yes, Devgn largely repeats the bullying persona from Golmaal 3, right down to his finger-bending anger whenever someone unfortunately points their digit at him.
But what elevates the performance is his willingness to poke fun at himself, particularly his age-gap pairing with Parineeti Chopra.
Even within that macho exterior, Devgn convincingly conveys his character’s terror of supernatural happenings, and does so with delightful comic timing.
6. Son of Sardaar (2012)
The remake of S S Rajamouli’s Maryada Ramanna sees Ajay Devgn play a simple-hearted Sardar who survives by exploiting his enemies’ strict honour code.
He is in fine form both in the action and comedy departments, bringing infectious enthusiasm to perpetually goofy-grinned Jassi while making every attempt to remain inside his would-be murderers’ home genuinely hilarious.
Sadly, all that energy disappeared in the belated 2025 sequel, which is best left forgotten.
5. Sunday (2008)
Among the Rohit Shetty-Ajay Devgn collaborations, Sunday remains the only one that underperformed at the box office.
Which is unfortunate, because it features Ajay Devgn, Irrfan Khan and Arshad Warsi in good form.
Devgn makes wonderful use of his deadpan style as the lovelorn cop who happily accepts the occasional bribe and is equally willing to laugh at himself.
His understated comic timing, along with his amusing pairing with Mukesh Tiwari (who plays his subordinate) shines even when the film itself loses its momentum when the thriller portions fail to hold up.
4. All The Best: Fun Begins (2009)
Forget the abysmal climax. Until then, All The Best: Fun Begins is an absolute riot, with Sanjay Dutt, Johnny Lever, Sanjay Mishra and Ajay Devgn in top form.
Devgn is particularly enjoyable as the street-smart best friend to Fardeen Khan’s character, constantly dreaming up money-making schemes that spectacularly backfire.
His verbal sparring with Sanjay Dutt and the elaborate attempts to fool Johnny Lever’s don allow Devgn to embrace the outright buffoonery of his hustler character with remarkable confidence.
3. Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? (2010)
Playing one half of an urban couple forced to host the guest from hell, Ajay Devgn delivers a wonderfully restrained performance, sharing terrific chemistry with Konkona Sen Sharma and Paresh Rawal.
His increasingly exasperated reactions to the irritating guest are spot on, while his desperate attempts to get rid of him generate some genuinely amusing moments.
The film later received a quasi-sequel in Guest in London (where Kartik Aaryan played the lead role). If you’ve forgotten it existed, that probably says everything.
2. Golmaal Returns (2008)
Many consider Golmaal Returns the weakest film in the franchise. I actually think it’s the series’ underdog.
It’s also arguably the most meta entry, taking cheeky digs at everything from the actors’ own careers to those who exited the franchise.
Devgn’s character also feels refreshingly different. Instead of the familiar tough-guy act, he channels an understated Amol Palekar-like energy as a henpecked husband constantly under suspicion from his wife in a storyline inspired by Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar.
He also looks considerably more relaxed and confident in the comedy space than he did in the first Golmaal.
What really makes the performance click is how effortlessly he switches from projecting an alpha-male swagger while dealing with Shreyas Talpade and Tusshar Kapoor’s characters to turning into a complete mouse before his wife (Kareena Kapoor) and later in front of Arshad Warsi’s cop.
1. Bol Bachchan (2012)
Earlier, I mentioned how Ajay Devgn thrives within ensembles rather than trying to overshadow his co-stars. Yet, there are a handful of films where he ends up doing exactly that without really trying.
I’m not particularly fond of Rohit Shetty’s remake of Amol Palekar’s Gol Maal, but since this is a list of Devgn’s funniest performances, Bol Bachchan absolutely deserves its place because he is easily the film’s saving grace.
Once again playing the intimidating tough guy, Devgn shines whenever the role demands to show his ’emotional vulnerability’ (in a very amusing manner) or confusion, particularly during the elaborate misunderstandings engineered around him.
It’s perhaps the finest example of how Rohit Shetty understands Devgn’s comic strengths and exploits them to maximum effect. The film, sadly, is not among their best comic collaborations.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
