PremiumFrom Major Saab to Runway 34, Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn's partnership in Bollywood
Major Saab turns 26, revisiting the iconic Amitabh Bachchan-Ajay Devgn films on OTT platforms.
Last Updated: 04.56 PM, Jun 26, 2024
On the occasion of Major Saab's 26th anniversary, it is fitting to reflect on the incredible filmmaking partnership between Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn, two of Bollywood's most iconic actors. From thrilling action flicks to heartfelt tragedies, their onscreen chemistry has delivered a slew of films. Big B and Devgn have been captivating audiences with their powerful performances in films like Hindustan Ki Kasam, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, Khakee, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, Satyagraha, and Runway 34 since Major Saab, which set the tone for their dynamic partnership in 1998, began. Their collaborative efforts have stood the test of time in Bollywood, and each of their films serves as a testament to that.
Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn films to watch on OTT
Major Saab (YouTube)
Tinnu Anand's 1998 action flick Major Saab features Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Nafisa Ali, Ashish Vidhyarthi, and Sonali Bendre. Major Jasbir Singh Rana (Amitabh Bachchan) runs the national defence academy in the film, teaching cadets how to become officers. Ajay Devgn plays the role of Virendra Pratap Singh, a spoiled brat who enrols in the institution. Major is a severe disciplinarian who uses a row to bring him to his knees and transform him into a soldier, but he has no idea. Because of this, tensions rise between them. At the same time, Virendra finds himself falling in love with Nisha, played by Sonali Bendre, a stunning young woman whose father has set her up for marriage to a wealthy contractor's son. The girl's love for Virendra contradicts her father's intentions, leading to a quarrel between Virendra and her father, who receives support from the contractor, his son, and their gang. In the process of winning his heart, Major Saab turns Virendra from a spoiled boy into a courageous and honourable soldier.
Hindustan Ki Kasam (Prime Video)
In the 1999 action flick Hindustan Ki Kasam, directed by Veeru Devgan, Ajay Devgn—the director's son—starred alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Manisha Koirala, Sushmita Sen, and Kader Khan. Prem Chopra and Shakti Kapoor, for once, had parts that were uplifting. The picture had a respectable opening weekend, but its overall earnings were below par. Upon its release, the film broke the opening-day record in India and performed averagely at the box office.
Twins are born to a mother and they are, regrettably, apart. While one of the kids, Tauheed, becomes a devoted Muslim in neighbouring Pakistan, the other, Ajay, becomes a fervent Hindu. Being on opposite sides of the ongoing animosity between the two nations forces them to fight each other. The terrorists have turned their sights on Pakistan's prime minister, and their last chance for unity is to rescue him.
Hum Kisise Kum Nahin (ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium] and ShemarooMe [OTTplay Premium])
Afzal Khan produced and David Dhawan directed the 2002 action comedy Hum Kisise Kum Nahin. Among the actors included in the film are Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, and Amitabh Bachchan. Harold Ramis' gangster comedy Analyze This served as a major story point. The film's lacklustre box office performance belies its A-list cast.
The notorious Mumbai criminal Munna Bhai (Sanjay) develops romantic feelings for a young woman called Komal (Aishwarya). Her brother Dr. Rastogi (Bachchan), vagrant boyfriend Raja (Devgn), and Munna herself all get in the way of her wedding plans, which go comically wrong.
Khakee (Lionsgate Play [OTTplay Premium], JioCinema, Prime Video, ShemarooMe [OTTplay Premium])
The 2004 neo-noir action thriller Khakee follows an Indian police squad as they travel from a tiny village in Maharashtra to Mumbai to apprehend a man wanted for terrorism. Rajkumar Santoshi and Sridhar Raghavan co-wrote the screenplay. Tusshar Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, and Amitabh Bachchan are among the film's stars. Khakee received high praise for its script, direction, and acting upon its release.
The stern DCP, Anant Shrivastav (Amitabh Bachchan), has delegated the task of accompanying terrorist Iqbal Ansari (Atul Kulkarni) from Chandangarh. His terrorist group is hell-bent on capturing him. A vicious killer and ex-police officer named Yashwant Angre (Ajay Devgn) is behind this plot. A rookie and two more inspectors make up Anant's crew. The sole eyewitness, Mahalakshmi (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), decides to accompany them. The squads are prepared and ready to travel, but peril is at every corner since the terrorist group is hell-bent on preventing the officers from reaching Mumbai. They are beginning to discover that their adversaries are closer than they had anticipated. How confident are they that they can protect Iqbal? Would doing what is right and being honest be enough to destroy them?
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (Prime Video)
Ram Gopal Varma produced and directed the 2007 action drama film Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, which stars Mohanlal, Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Sushmita Sen, J. D. Chakravarthy, and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi in significant roles. When it came out, critics were not kind to the film, which was based on the 1975 Hindi blockbuster Sholay. Many think it's among the worst films of all time. In the film, a controversy involving a politician's employer jeopardises the employment of two bodyguards. They escape to Mumbai and join forces with a criminal, only to find out that the authorities are also after them.
Satyagraha (ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium] and Prime Video)
Filmmaker Prakash Jha helmed the 2013 political drama Satyagraha, which featured Vipin Sharma, Amrita Rao, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Amitabh Bachchan among its main actors. A son's longing for a father figure is central to Satyagraha. A father's sorrow over his son's death is the protagonist of this moving tale, along with that of a young woman who is so preoccupied with surviving that she forgets to express her love for those around her. The film also features a driven, ambitious man who puts his ambitions on hold. In it, we see how these four people meet, form an alliance, and then unleash a force that threatens to destroy everything in its path. However, the story of Satyagraha also includes a powerful ruler who is determined to destroy them no matter the cost.
Runway 34 (Prime Video)
Under the brand of Ajay Devgn FFilms, the 2022 thriller Runway 34 was produced and directed by none other than Ajay Devgn. Numerous films, including Flight and The Captain, as well as the aviation incident involving Jet Airways aircraft 9W-555 from Doha to Kochi on August 17, 2015, served as inspiration for the film. The film has Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh, and Amitabh Bachchan as main stars, alongside Boman Irani, Angira Dhar, and Aakanksha Singh in significant supporting roles. Runway 34's hero, Captain Vikrant Khanna (Ajay Devgn), was a gifted pilot who once touched down a plane with his eyes closed. At first, everyone looks to him as a saviour, but Amitabh Bachchan's Narayan Vedant's probe quickly uncovers questions that show a different side of the event.