Ajay Devgn is an Indian film actor, director and producer who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. Active since the early 1990s, he has appeared in a wide range of films spanning action, drama and comedy, and is regarded as one of the most prolific leading actors of his generation. He is also the founder of the production house Ajay Devgn FFilms and has received the National Film Award for Best Actor on multiple occasions, along with the Padma Shri from the Government of India.
| Full name | Ajay Devgn (born Vishal Veeru Devgan) |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 April 1969 |
| Place of birth | New Delhi, India |
| Occupation | Actor, film director, producer |
| Years active | 1991 – present |
| Spouse | Kajol (m. 1999) |
| Children | Nysa Devgan, Yug Devgan |
| Father | Veeru Devgan (action director) |
| Mother | Veena Devgan (film producer) |
| Production house | Ajay Devgn FFilms |
| Notable honours | Padma Shri (2016); National Film Award for Best Actor |
Devgn was born into a film industry family. His father, Veeru Devgan, was a well-known stunt choreographer and action director in Hindi cinema, while his mother, Veena Devgan, worked as a film producer. He grew up in Mumbai and was exposed to film production from a young age. His younger brother, Anil Devgan, also worked as a director in Hindi films.
Devgn made his acting debut with Phool Aur Kaante (1991), directed by Kuku Kohli, for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. The film established him as an action lead, with his entry sequence performing a split between two motorcycles becoming widely recognised. He followed this with action-oriented films through the early 1990s, including Jigar (1992) and Vijaypath (1994).
From the late 1990s, Devgn took on more dramatic roles. He won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for Zakhm (1998), directed by Mahesh Bhatt. Other notable performances of this period include Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Company (2002), directed by Ram Gopal Varma.
Through the 2000s and 2010s, Devgn appeared in a series of commercially successful films, including The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), for which he received his second National Film Award for Best Actor; the Golmaal comedy series directed by Rohit Shetty beginning in 2006; the Singham police-action films (2011, 2014); Drishyam (2015) and Drishyam 2 (2022); Raid (2018); and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), for which he received his third National Film Award for Best Actor.
Devgn founded the production company Ajay Devgn FFilms, which has produced and co-produced several of his starring vehicles. He made his directorial debut with U, Me Aur Hum (2008) and has subsequently directed films including Shivaay (2016) and Runway 34 (2022), in which he also starred.
Ajay Devgn married actor Kajol in 1999. The couple have two children, Nysa and Yug. The family resides in Mumbai. Devgn has occasionally appeared on screen alongside Kajol in films such as Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998), Raju Chacha (2000) and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020).
Devgn is recognised for sustaining a leading-man career in Hindi cinema for over three decades, working across action, art-house drama and mainstream commercial entertainers. His collaborations with directors such as Rohit Shetty, Prakash Jha and Rajkumar Santoshi have contributed to several long-running film franchises, while his three National Film Awards for Best Actor place him among a small group of Hindi film actors with multiple wins in that category.