Ajay Devgn Birthday Special: 11 Underrated Films of the Tanhaji Star to Watch While in Coronavirus Lockdown

For the past few days, we have been making our own watchlists of movies and sharing them with you, ever since the lockdown to curb Coronavirus pandemic has been imposed. We have been asking you to use this time to check out some lesser-loved, under-appreciated works in Hindi Cinema, while also segregating them based on some popular stars. We have already made our watchlists of Salman Khan and Aamir Khan movies. It is time for two-time National Award winner, Ajay Devgn. Ajay Devgn Birthday: 5 Much-Loved Roles of The Actor That One Should Definitely Watch!

And what's the better occasion to do so than on April 2, 2020, when the Tanhaji star is turning 51. On the occasion of this special occasion, here are 11 underrated films of the Bollywood superstar we like to recommend to both his fans and non-fans to check out while in quarantine.

Zakhm

Ajay Devgn won his first National Award for his incredible performance in this moving drama that dealt with communal tensions, while narrating a tragic love story of the protagonist's mother. Apart from Devgn, Pooja Bhatt, who played his mother, and a young Kunal Kemmu, who played his younger version, were also excellent in this Mahesh Bhatt film.

Thakshak

Govind Nihalani's gangster drama had everything just understated about it. Be it the brooding tone of the film, Devgn, Tabu and Rahul Bose's performances and AR Rahman's brilliant score - Thakshak seeks and deserves more appreciation, despite going under the radar at the time of its release.

Raju Chacha

Ajay Devgn's first film as a producer is proof enough that the actor wanted to give the best visual treatment for the audience. While Raju Chacha is flawed as they come, the rich visual appeal and some very entertaining sequences still make it a fun watch. Not to mention, a surprise cameo from buddy Sanjay Dutt! Coronavirus Watchlist: 17 Baffling Puzzles Left by These Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor Movies That You Can Crack While Rewatching!

Lajja

Rajkumar Santoshi's ensemble drama is a gritty take of the plight of women in the country through its four principal women characters (named after Sita's other sobriquets). Ajay Devgn appears in the most brutal chapter in the film, playing a Robin Hood sort of character who is fighting a relentless war against the evil warlords in his village. It is simply a stupendous performance by the actor even in his brief screen time.

LOC: Kargil

JP Dutta's followup to his blockbuster hit Border may not be a chest-thumping affair as its predecessor is, but this film, based on the Kargil war, is more exhausting, more detailed and brings more realism in the battle scenes. Featuring an extensive ensemble of cast, Ajay Devgn still manages to stand out as the martyred Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, bring the necessary ferocity in the role that keeps the character real, and yet powerful enough.

Yuva

Mani Ratnam's second film in Bollywood takes a page out of Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores perros and makes a hyperlink film of three stories that get connected by a single event. Yuva, while overlooked at the box officer during the release, is known for AR Rahman's score and Abhishek Bachchan finally getting validation as an actor. But let's not forget Ajay Devgn was fantastic in the film too, as the daring, upright student leader, Michael Mukherjee.

Khakee

Rajkumar Santoshi's multi-starrer film, Khakee, was a hit during its release. But over the years, Khakee is not being discussed as much as it should, even though it is one of the best cop films ever made in Bollywood. The opening sequence is simply fantastic, and the thrill factor is consistently maintained throughout the film. Khakee is also notable for its performances, with Amitabh Bachchan leading the show with enough dexterity, Akshay Kumar's comic timing is epic and Ajay Devgn is suitably menacing as the main antagonist. Ajay Devgn Birthday Special Trivia: Before Akshay Kumar, Did You Know His Sooryavanshi Co-Star Was to Play Prithviraj Chauhan?

Tango Charlie

After the disastrous Rudraksh, director Mani Shankar did some sort of damage control with his next, Tango Charlie. The movie is a chapter-wise take on the lives of two BSF jawaans, as they traipse from one dangerous mission to another. While Bobby Deol is decent as the main lead, it is Ajay Devgn who packs a punch as his daring superior. Also check out for the opening act chapter, that involves Bodo Insurgency in the North East. It is both gritty and heartbreaking. The rest of the film may not live upto this portion, but still, the film turns out to be an engaging watch.

Shikhar

John Mathew Matthan is known for making the fantastic Sarfarosh, starring Aamir Khan. However, the director couldn't capitalise on the acclaim he got from his debut film, even ending up making a Himesh Reshammiya film that went straight to television. John's second film, though, Shikhar was a decent enough movie with some compelling drama about land corruption. Shahid Kapoor does a good job as the young man lured into the lucrid but scrupulous world of land -deals. And there is Ajay Devgn, the movie's Gordon Gekko, who has quite the fun revelling in his grey shades.

Sunday

The most underrated film made by Rohit Shetty, Sunday is a comic thriller, which is a remake of the Telugu film Anukokunda Oka Roju. The film is about a dubbing artiste, played by Ayesha Takia, whose loses a 'Sunday' in her life, and tries to piece together the events of the day she missed and how that happened. Ajay Devgn plays a cop enamoured with her, who helps her in her mission, with the actor doing a really wonderful job with his comic timing. Even Arshad Warsi and Irrfan Khan, in supporting roles, are too good.

Halla Bol

Halla Bol may be one of the weakest films made by Rajkumar Santoshi, but the movie has a very relevant theme and some compelling material that is inspired by true-life incidents. Devgn does a decent job of playing a street-troupe artiste turned movie superstar, who loses his moral compass during the transition, but gaining it back before he loses himself. But if you have to watch Halla Bol, watch it for a powerful performance from the great Pankaj Kapur. And also for the many cameos.

Aakrosh

Priyadarshan rips off the classic Mississippi Burning to tell a story of the hinterlands involving caste discrimination and honour killings. Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna play two officers sent to a small village to investigate the missings of a few city boys. Aakrosh is a darkly thrilling affair with Devgn portraying a man who faced discrimination his whole life for his caste and that keeps him angry, while Akshaye plays the more level-headed officer. There are a couple of silly action scenes that take away the realism from the film. But if you haven't seen the original, Aakrosh is nevertheless a decent remake.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2020 07:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).