It is a dull and drenched Delhi morning but Hilton Janakpuri is bustling with activity. Ajay Devgn is staying at the hotel and as we reach the appointed place, we are stopped by the security. The actor is shooting a promo for a news channel. The over-enthusiastic production girl expects Ajay to repeat the lines. “Once more,” she almost shouts as she gets an opportunity to direct Ajay. The National Award-winning actor takes it once. Next time, he politely says that he can't repeat it the same way. “I don't do it in films either. You will get something different every time!” he smiles and walks off.
As we head for our destination, Zune, the Indian restaurant inspired by North Indian cuisine, Ajay says the same character reflects in his cooking. “I cook very well. Whatever you say… mutton, khichda, pasta… I can cook. But I love to experiment. I create my own recipe. It's just like my acting. Before the shot I don't know what I am going to do. Similarly, before cooking I don't know how it is going to pan out,” a mischievous Devgn smile flashes. The restaurant focuses on Kashmiri and Mughlai delights but for now Ajay has Delhi's favourite kukkar Patiala, an offbeat name for marinated chicken cooked in Punjabi spices.
Ajay's definition of good food is simple desi stuff and he swears by non-vegetarian delicacies. “I love Delhi food. Though I like to have more non-vegetarian stuff, during the shooting of Sunday I tried Old Delhi's chhole-bhature. I loved them so much that I asked my support staff to ensure they reach my hotel room every other day.” Ajay says he is too finicky about where the food is coming from and things like hygiene. “During shooting I don't press for home-cooked food. I have grown up eating all kinds of food from different places. We used to order from Gol Market, Nathu's, Karim's. In Mumbai, I can have vada paav any time,” reflects Ajay, trying nalli ka khasa salan, which is lamb shank braised in brown onion gravy with saffron playing its role rather well.
Almost every Sunday you can find Ajay in the kitchen. “My daughter is also a strict non-vegetarian like me and she loves my cooking. So whenever I get time I cook for her.” Any speciality? “My family loves my khichda . When my sisters come over we all dine together and usually I am asked to prepare.” So what's the recipe? “That I won't be able to tell you as I myself don't stick to one. Rice, mutton and dal are basic ingredients. After that it all depends on availability and my instinct.” Does wife Kajol also venture into the kitchen? “No, she doesn't. In fact I cook for her whenever I have time. It all depends on who knows what, isn't it?” he asks. He goes to his mother when the Punjabi inside him turns demanding. “Though she doesn't cook too often these days, she is terrific at Punjabi fare. I like her paranthe,” says Ajay as the aroma of whole spices in gucchi pulao — the combination of morel mushroom and fine basmati rice — captures his imagination.
But till a couple of months back all this was denied to him as he was busy sporting six-pack abs for Singham . “Till one month before the release I was on a strict diet. But now I am back to my regular diet,” says Ajay adding that diet is more important than exercise for getting the six-pack abdomen. “It is 70 per cent diet and 30 per cent workout. For one and half months I survived only on grilled fish and salad.” Must be taxing? “Of course, it is difficult to have such bland food every day. You can't continue it for more than two months. But more than the difficulty I find it unhealthy. You also need vitamins, minerals for a healthy body.”
With Singham making good money at the box office, Ajay is in no hurry to repeat himself. “I never stick to one genre. My next two films are out and out comedies — David Dhawan's Rascals and then my own production Bol Bachchan. ” Rascals is a comic take on dons where he and Sanjay Dutt would be making fun of the underworld characters they have played and for Bol Bachchan he has acquired the rights of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Golmaal . “We have changed it considerably to give it a contemporary feel,” Ajay signs off.
