In 2000, Devgan performed in Harry Baweja's Deewane. The film did not do well at the box office.[43] In the same year, Devgan starred in his first home production Raju Chacha with Kajol. The film was moderately successful.[43]
In 2001, Devgan starred in another moderately successful film, Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke with Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta.[44] His next release was Lajja, with Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. However, the film was not popular with the public.[44] Mahesh Manjrekar's Tera Mera Saath Rahen followed.
In 2002, Devgan performed in Ram Gopal Varma's fictional examination of the Mumbai underworld in the film Company. Devgan played a gangster named Malik. Both Company and Devgan's performance received critical acclaim. Taran Adarsh reviewed, "Ajay Devgn enacts his role to perfection. A controlled performance, the actor takes to this complex character like a fish takes to water. He underplays his part with admirable ease."[45] Devgan was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award and won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.[46] Devgan's next release was David Dhawan's comedy Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, with Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai.[46] The same year, he played the role of Bhagat Singh, in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh.[47] His performance was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said, "Ajay Devgn has lived the role. To state that he is excellent would be an understatement. His performance is bound to win admiration from cinegoers, besides fetching awards."[48] The film was released on 7 June 2002 and went on to win two National Film Awards, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, and three Filmfare Awards, including the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie. Despite these awards, and Devgan winning his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance, the film was not popular with the public.[46] Devgan went on to perform in Anees Bazmee's Deewangee. The film was partially inspired by William Diehl's novel, Primal Fear. The film earned Devgan several awards for his role including a Filmfare Best Villain Award, the Star Screen Award for Best Villain and the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role. The film was a success at the box office.[46]
In 2003, Devgan starred in Ram Gopal Verma's horror film Bhoot, opposite Urmila Matondkar. The film was appreciated critically and performed well at the box office.[49] He then starred in the action thriller Qayamat: City Under Threat with the actress debutante, Neha Dhupia. The film was a commercial success.[49] Devgan next performed in Milan Luthria's romantic film Chori Chori opposite Rani Mukherji and Sonali Bendre. This film did not succeed at the box office.[49] Devgan's next release of the year was Prakash Jha's Gangaajal. The film was set in the time of the blinding incident in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Rediff.com said, "Ajay Devgan pulls up an ace with a part tailormade to reinforce his seething-under-the-surface angry hero image. To his credit (and the director's), he brings style and grace to a largely stereotypical, righteous protagonist. To a great extent, his presence covers up the film's patchiness in the second half."[50] Devgan was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for this performance. He then worked in Rohit Shetty's directional debut Zameen[51] and J. P. Dutta's war film LOC Kargil.
In 2004, Devgan was cast with Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi's action thriller Khakee. The film was released on 23 January 2004. It received positive reviews and became one of the highest grossing films of 2004.[52] In Khakee, Devgan once again played a villain. His performance as a police officer turned murderer was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said, "Ajay Devgan adds yet another feather in his cap with a performance that could've been played only by a master performer. His confrontations with Amitabh Bachchan are exemplary."[53] Later in 2004, Devgan appeared in Indra Kumar's Masti: Sanam Teri Kasam. He also starred in Yuva.[54][55][56]
Devgan next collaborated with Rituparno Ghosh in the relationship drama Raincoat with Aishwaraya Rai. The film is an adaptation of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. Raincoat met with wide critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.[57][58] Devgan was praised for his performance. Rediff said, "Hesitation, desperation, humiliation – Ajay Devgn conveys them eloquently. His Manoj is no cool dude, but just another lower middle-class guy in misery, with whom none would like to switch place. He particularly stands out in the scenes where he cries in the bathroom, or begs Neeru not to marry someone else."[57] In 2004, Devgan was also seen in a cameo appearance in Taarzan: The Wonder Car.
2005 was a less successful year for Devgan. His movies were not financially successful. They included Insan, Blackmail, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Tango Charlie and Shikhar. However, the films Kaal and Apaharan did well. For his performance in Apaharan, Devgn was nominated for the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Best Actor Award. His performance as a villain in Kaal also earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Best Villain Award.[59]
Devgan with Kangana Ranaut at success party of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai in 2010
In 2006 Devgan played Othello in Omkara, an Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. It was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. The film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. It premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Cairo International Film Festival.[60][61] Omkara was well received by critics. Rediff said, "Othello is a tricky role, a leading man eclipsed by the villain. Yet the Moor is a brooding and compelling character, and Ajay Devgn does valiantly with his material. Omkara strips Othello of the racism, exchanging his black skin for surprisingly inconsequential half-Brahminism. Ajay's best bits are when restrained, and while there is a bit of a seen-that feel to his character, by the time the film is over, you realise just how unflinchingly solid he's been."[62] Taran Adarsh said, "Ajay makes a stirring and powerful interpretation of a man haunted by uncertainty about his lover's faithfulness. The serious look that Ajay carries suits him to the T. Of course, Ajay is exceptional in the film and looks every inch the character he portrays."[63]
In 2006, Devgan also starred in Rohit Shetty's Golmaal. It had two sequels Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3. In the same year, Devgan was featured in a short documentary about the Mumbai floods of 2005 titled The Awakening.[64]
In 2007 Devgan starred in two movies, director Anubhav Sinha's action thriller Cash and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.
In 2008, Devgan performed in the social film Halla Bol, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. Also in the cast were Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan.[65][66] The film is based on the life of activist Safdar Hashmi, who was killed in 1989 by political rivals while performing in the street play, Halla Bol.[67] The film received harsh reviews.[68]
In 2008, Devgan also performed in Rohit Shetty's third film Sunday. He then took the lead role with Kajol in his own directorial debut film, U Me Aur Hum.[69] The film performed moderately well at the box-office and earned positive critical reviews for his performance as well as for his direction. Rediff said, "His character grows, discovers both shirt-buttons and subtlety, delivering an intense acting job. Speaking almost entirely in platitudes – pithy at first, profound as he goes on – this grows into an extraordinarily well-written character, replete with flaws and relatability. The way he treats his remorse, drunkenly pointing every finger at himself around a dinner table, is superbly handled, as is his guilty struggle to delineate his life experience from his professional opinion."[70] Devgan also made a cameo appearance in his brother Anil Devgan's film Haal–e–dil. He then starred in Afzal Khan's Mehbooba.
Again in 2008, Devgan performed in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, a sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited about a mistrustful wife who believed her husband was unfaithful. The Indian Express said the screenplay was derivative, concluding, "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Ajay-Kareena play it."[71] Golmaal Returns was a financial success with global revenues of ₹79.25 crore (US$12 million).[72]
In 2009, Devgan produced his third film, All the Best, directed by Rohit Shetty. It had some financial success.[73][74] Next, Devgan starred in Vipul Shah's London Dreams with Salman Khan and the Tamil film star Asin. The film was not popular with the public.[73]
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