Ajay Devgn: I love the time I spend with Nysa

Even though Ajay Devgn couldn't attend the world premiere of his first global production, 'Parched', at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, the actor was there for his film at the London Indian Film Festival last week, walking the red carpet with writer-director Leena Yadav, the actors and daughter Nysa. "We've got a standing ovation from audiences all across the globe and London was no different.It was gratifying to see viewers, irrespective of age or culture, laugh, cry and think alike after the screening," points out the actor-producer, adding proudly that in Paris, they had started with a 17-theatre release which has since grown to 217 theatres.

Parched featuring Tannishtha Chatterjee, Surveen Chawla, Radhika Apte and Adil Hussain, is an inspirational drama about four women in a village in Gujarat who fight their personal wars and in the process begin to discard traditions. Ajay is encouraged by the fact that his 13-year-old daughter is aware of the issues the film raises, but since it is rated 15-plus, Nysa couldn't see it. "But it was great to have her walk the red carpet with me, I love the time I spend with Nysa. She had hijacked my social media for the day," he laughs, admitting that his lil' darling is his strength and it's a delight watching her grow up, so savvy and socially aware with strong opinions.
Does she aspire to follow in her parents' footsteps and become an actress like mum Kajol or foray into film production and direction? "She is just 13, so it's too early to discuss what she would like to do with her," Ajay says shortly.
As an actor despite having done socially relevant films like 'Zakhm', 'Gangaajal', 'Omkara', and 'Raajneeti' to name a few, Ajay's been known for his macho image thanks to films like 'Phool Aur Kaante', 'Singham' and 'Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai,' so what propelled him to back a feminist film like Parched? "Amongst all the commercial films we do, when you hear a script like Parched, it becomes our duty to support good storytelling in cinema. Box-office is important, but the decision to back a good project is not always dependant on the promise of the returns. Everything is not about money. A good film backed with good intention always touches the audience's hearts and goes on to make money too," he reasons.
He is all praise for his writer-director Leena who has extracted stupefying work from the entire team. "Her work and that of the cast and crew, including DoP Russell Carpenter who has won an Oscar for 'Titanic,' is commendable," he asserts, informing that he plans to release the film in India in September-October.
However, this is just the beginning for Ajay who plans to produce many such films. He's already started working on scripts in different genres for world cinema. "There is a growing independent cinema voice in India and as a production house we are geared to produce quality cinema for audiences across India and the globe," he states.