"In every film, he leaves a very big impact."
Ajay Devgn is one of the most talented and dynamic actors in Bollywood.
He is renowned for his onscreen intensity, versatility, and engaging screen presence.
Since his debut in the early 1990s, he has continued to entertain the audience in a variety of genres, including action, romance, and comedy.
His crime thriller, Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026), wowed viewers and critics alike, proving that all these decades later, Ajay’s talent is very much intact.
For fans who loved the movie, there is plenty of great material Ajay has to offer.
DESIblitz proudly presents 12 films of Ajay Devgn you must see.
Phool Aur Kaante (1991)
Director: Kuku Kohli
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Madhoo, Aruna Irani, Jagdeep, Amrish Puri
Kicking off our list is where it all started for Ajay Devgn.
He made his acting debut as Ajay Salgaonkar in Kuku Kohli’s Phool Aur Kaante.
This racy action-romance film explores the story of Ajay and his father, Nageshwar ‘Don’ Salgaonkar (Amrish Puri).
When Don begins to age, he decides that Ajay must take over his vast criminal enterprise.
Will Ajay and his wife Pooja Salgaonkar (Madhoo) be able to save themselves and their loved ones before it’s too late?
Phool Aur Kaante was a massive success for Ajay Devgn, and introduced the audience to an incredible actor.
The film is also famous for the actor’s entry, where he balances on two moving motorcyles.
This scene has been replicated in many films since, and it cemented the star’s ability to perform action with an unmatched flair.
Dilwale (1994)
Director: Harry Baweja
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Paresh Rawal
In Harry Baweja’s Dilwale, Ajay Devgn stars as Arun Saxena, a patient in a mental hospital.
Attempts by Arun to escape prove futile, but things change for him with the arrival of Inspector Vikram Singh (Suniel Shetty).
Vikram notes how aggressive Arun becomes with the mention of Sapna Puri (Raveena Tandon).
The inspector concludes that Arun’s love is being mistaken for insanity.
Vikram then takes responsibility for getting justice for Arun and reuniting him with Sapna.
The film contains a spellbinding performance by Ajay and is also highlighted for Nadeem–Shravan’s timeless score.
Chartbusters including ‘Kitna Haseen Chehra’ and ‘Jeeta Tha Jiske Liye‘ remain evergreen.
Up until Dilwale, Ajay was mostly starring in action films. This movie shows his intensity in romance.
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998)
Director: Anees Bazmee
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Om Puri
In Anees Bazmee’s Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Ajay appears as Shekhar Sooryavanshi.
After meeting Sanjana (Kajol) on a flight, a clumsy woman who has a fear of flying.
Although Shekhar enjoys her company, he has a hidden agenda, and begins using Sanjana for his personal gain.
However, as love prevails, will Shekhar find the redemption he needs to win Sanjana’s heart?
Kajol and Ajay strike a wonderful chemistry, and fans were delighted when they married in real life shortly after this film.
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha contains the lovely song, ‘Aaj Hai Sagaai‘, which contributed massively to its success.
Watch this film for a romantic, fun, and captivating experience!
Zakhm (1998)
Director: Mahesh Bhatt
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Pooja Bhatt, Sonali Bendre, Kunal Khemmu, Akshay Anand, Nagarjuna
For Zakhm, Ajay teams up with the veteran director, Mahesh Bhatt, for one of the latter’s final films.
The actor plays Ajay Desai, a music director, whose life is turned upside down due to a communal web.
When Desai’s mother, Noor Hussain Khan (Pooja Bhatt), is attacked during the Mumbai riots, we learn of his past.
Noor fell in love with Desai’s Hindu father, Raman (Nagarjuna), and thus, she began to live as a Hindu to marry him.
As Noor takes her last breaths, she reveals the truth of her faith to Ajay Desai, shocking him.
Her last wish is to be buried as per Islamic rites and hence, Desai must battle obstacles to do this for his mother.
Adorned with gripping emotion, touching scenes, and melodious music, Zakhm features one of Ajay Devgn’s most mesmeric acts.
The actor won his first National Film Award for ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ in 1998.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Stars: Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic romance, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, features Ajay as Vanraj.
Vanraj gets married to Nandini Darbar (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan).
However, Vanraj soon learns that Nandini is unhappy with him and that she really loves Sameer ‘Sam’ Rossellini (Salman Khan).
Instead of causing uproar, Vanraj takes it upon himself to reunite his wife with the man her heart belongs to.
While searching in Italy, Vanraj and Nandini must deal with language barriers, dangerous strangers, and a difficult marriage.
KK’s haunting track, ‘Tadap Tadap Ke‘, perfectly underscores the pain of unfulfilled love.
Although co-starring with the superstar Salman Khan, Ajay firmly holds his own.
Celebrating the film, Ajay said: “Salman, Sanjay, Ash & I knew we were making a super-sensitive film.
“Didn’t think though that it would create history. Humbled.”
The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Sushant Singh, Akhilendra Mishra, D Santosh, Amrita Rao
Based on the life of the legendary freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh, Ajay Devgn transforms into the titular character.
Ajay takes Singh through childhood outrage, revolutionary activism, political imprisonment, and historic martyrdom.
For such a film to succeed, the actor portraying Singh needed to be effortless, devoid of any vanity, and confident.
Ajay ticks all these boxes splendidly, creating a film rooted in realism and authenticity.
Discussing the film, Ajay says: “A film which really left an impact on me was The Legend of Bhagat Singh.
“His brother was always on the sets. So, when we used to hear stories, it made me think, ‘Can you ever do something like that?'”
For his performance, Ajay won another National Award in 2002.
Gangaajal (2003)
Director: Prakash Jha
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Gracy Singh, Mohan Joshi, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma
Prakash Jha’s Gangaajal presents Ajay as SP Amit Kumar, who takes charge of the fictional Tezpur district in Bihar.
Wrought with crime and corruption, Amit is determined to cleanse Tezpur of its illegal activity and political influence.
To do this, Amit must directly confront the gangster-politician, Sadhu Yadav (Mohan Joshi).
But when the quest for justice and the thirst for revenge begin to intertwine, Amit faces the ultimate test.
Ajay delivers a marvellous performance as Amit, which was widely acclaimed.
Reflecting on Gangaajal, director Prakash Jha comments: “I met several people who shared their personal experiences of how the movie had a profound impact on them.
“Many told me they’ve watched it over a 100 times, and each time, it strikes them harder.”
Truly, Gamgaajal is an incredible film, made all the more powerful by Ajay Devgn.
Main Aisa Hi Hoon (2005)
Director: Harry Baweja
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Sushmita Sen, Esha Deol, Anupam Kher
Ajay Devgn reunites with Harry Baweja for this sparkling family drama.
Adapted from I Am Sam (2001), Main Aisa Hi Hoon sees Ajay become Indraneel ‘Neel’ Mohan Thakur.
Neel is autistic and has a young daughter named Gungun Thakur (Rucha Vaidya).
Gungun’s mother is Maya Trivedi Thakur, who has disappeared from their lives.
Neel and Gungun’s perfect existence is broken when Maya’s father, Dayanath Trivedi (Anupam Kher) emerges.
It is then up to the lawyer, Niti Khanna (Sushmita Sen) to save Gungun and Neel.
Ajay proves that his acting range knows no bounds as he seamlessly blends into this autistic yet loving character.
Main Aisa Hi Hoon may not have been a blockbuster, but it has received adulation for Ajay’s breathtaking performance and touching father-daughter scenes.
Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006)
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Rimi Sen, Paresh Rawal
Ajay joins forces with frequent collaborator, Rohit Shetty, for the first instalment of the rib-tickling Golmaal series.
Golmaal: Fun Unlimited sees Ajay portray Gopal ‘Gopu’ Kumar Santoshi.
Gopu and his three friends make money via petty schemes and pranks.
After hiding in the home of a blind couple, Gopu begins to impersonate the couple’s grandson.
As the ringleader of the group’s schemes, Gopu is mischievious, loveable, and fun.
He also becomes somewhat of an accidental hero.
Golmaal: Fun Unlimited has a surprising emotional layer, which allows Ajay to balance emotion with comedy exquisitely.
The film was massively successful and it spawned several sequels, which have all garnered similar euphoria.
Omkara (2006)
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vivek Oberoi, Bipasha Basu, Naseeruddin Shah
Inspired by William Shakespeare’s classic play, Othello, Ajay plays the titular character in Vishal Bhardwaj’s crime drama.
Omkara ‘Omi’ Shukla is a powerful political enforcer who is in love with Dolly Mishra (Kareena Kapoor Khan).
Rebelling against familial opposition, Dolly and Omi embark on a forbidden relationship that could spell disaster.
Omi must also deal with the jealousy and anger of Ishwar ‘Langda’ Tyagi (Saif Ali Khan), who feels that Omi has betrayed him.
Eventually consumed by mistrust and doubt, Omi must pay a hideous price.
Omkara is regarded as one of the greatest Bollywood films ever made, renowned for its performances, screenplay, and music.
The film benefits greatly from the song, ‘Beedi Jalaile‘.
Despite being deemed by some as too dark, the film deserves its place as one of the finest offerings in Ajay’s filmography.
Singham (2011)
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Prakash Raj, Kajal Aggarwal, Sonali Kulkarni
Singham opens with Inspector Rakesh Kadam (Sudhanshu Pandey) taking his own life.
His distraught widow, Megha Gulzar (Sonali Kulkarni), vows justice.
Meanwhile, Ajay inhabits the world of Bajirao Singham, an unrelenting, upright police officer who is always upholding the truth.
Arriving in Goa, Bajirao must contend with the lack of law and order.
He fights for Rakesh and also faces the main antagonist, the criminal, Jaikant Shikre (Prakash Raj).
Ajay is magnificent as Bajirao. In the film, he lights up the screen with his power and grit.
He makes Bajirao one of Bollywood’s most popular police characters.
An enormous money-spinner, Singham also paved the path for Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe, which includes films like Simmba (2018) and Sooryavanshi (2021).
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020)
Director: Om Raut
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Saif Ali Khan
Set in the 17th century, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior narrates the saga of the titular Maratha royal, who wants to lead the mission of reclaiming Kondhana Fort.
Udaybhan Singh Rathod (Saif Ali Khan) controls the fort, and is a worthy nemesis of Tanhaji.
Knowing his army is outnumbered, Tanhaji relies on tactics of surprise and secrecy to accomplish his task.
However, will Tanhaji succeed and how will Udaybhan face such a formidable strategic warrior?
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior received high praise from both critics and viewers.
Hrithik Roshan enthused: “What an incredible movie. Best action ever. Ajay and Kajol, take a bow! Saif is just brilliant.”
Praising Ajay and Saif’s performances, a film review states: “Ajay and Saif imbue their roles with the necessary vigour.”
Admittedly, Tanhaji divided viewers who doubted the film’s historical accuracy.
However, to call Ajay’s performance merely a saving grace would be a dramatic understatement.
Undoubtedly, Ajay Devgn has proven himself one of the finest products of Bollywood.
Through a career spanning over three decades, he has not only survived but has thrived.
With over 100 movies to his name, Ajay has aced all genres of film, and has shaped some of Indian cinema’s most enduring classics.
In 2024, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan said: “He’s a very fine actor. In every film, he leaves a very big impact.”
That impact is evident in the films in this article, as well as in many others.
An accomplished actor, director, and producer, Ajay has added another glorious feather in his cap with Drishyam: The Conclusion.
But that is just one of many. So, go forth, and get lost in the celluloid magic of Ajay Devgn!
