Ajay Devgn critiques Bollywood's new generation: 'Industry Now Filled with Boys, Not Men'

In a recent interview, actor Ajay Devgn talked about how he sees a shift in Bollywood, feeling that the industry no longer has as many actors who project strong, “masculine” personalities on screen. Appearing on The Ranveer Show, Devgn mentioned that Bollywood now has more “boys” rather than “men,” contrasting today’s actors with iconic figures from the past like Jackie Shroff, Sunny Deol, and Amitabh Bachchan. These actors, according to him, had a presence that made audiences believe in their characters as strong and commanding.

The shift in Bollywood's masculine persona

Devgn explained that building muscles doesn’t define a “man” in cinema; it’s more about personality and attitude. He noted that in earlier generations, audiences found themselves captivated by actors who appeared larger-than-life and capable of taking on any challenge. Referring to scenes where Akshay Kumar could fight multiple opponents or Sunny Deol would rip out a hand pump, Devgn pointed out that audiences believed they could truly accomplish such feats. Today’s generation of actors, he said, doesn’t inspire the same confidence from viewers.

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Ajay emphasized that he wasn’t singling out any particular actor, but speaking about a broader shift within Bollywood. He suggested that changes in upbringing and life attitudes have contributed to this difference in personality and screen presence among younger actors.

Ajay Devgn's recent work in Singham Again

Recently, Devgn reprised his popular role as Bajirao Singham in Singham Again, directed by Rohit Shetty. Released on November 1, the movie has been a box-office success, adding to the Singham franchise. In this film, Devgn starred alongside actors like Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor, with a cast featuring Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and Tiger Shroff. Salman Khan also made a guest appearance as his character Chulbul Pandey from Dabangg. Upcoming projects for Devgn include Naam - The Missing Identity, Raid 2, Son of Sardaar 2, De De Pyaar De 2, and Azaad.