Ajay Devgn Reportedly Directing Some Key Scenes Of His Action-Adventure Ranger | FPJ Exclusive

Standing near me at a cinema foyer in 2024 in Juhu, Mumbai, young action-director Kevin Kumar, who worked with Salman Khan on Sikandar, excitedly told me that he would be directing Bollywood supremo Ajay Devgn’s action-sequences in a forest-adventure, Ranger, starting 2025, which was being produced by duo Luv Ranjan-Ankur Garg (Luv Films). He spoke about the tiger that was being specially recreated in VFX and how it was going to be of the best standards ever seen in Indian cinema.

“Ajay Sir is playing a ‘ranger’ in a never-before-seen-avatar,” said another source, who was also present, and then he got immersed in his movie-watching.

In March 2025, this jungle-action-adventure was launched with pomp and fare. Ajay, Sanjay Dutt (as the villain) and, a later thought, Tamannaah Bhatia, were added. Jagan Shakti, of Mission Mangal fame, was signed as director. Momentarily, all was good.

When this writer visited the Golden Tobacco Studio, Vile Parle, Mumbai, Dutt was dressed in camouflage, had a blonde patch in his beard and looked intimidating. He told me Devgn had packed up for the day. And Jagan Shakti was wielding the microphone.

Now there’s news that at the latest schedule of Ranger, being shot at a studio in Mumbai, Devgn is not only the lead actor, he is also the director on set. Rumours are rife about this development.

How did this development happen?

Well, two scenarios are being spoken about. One is that Jagan Shakti is around, but Devgn is directing some key scenes.

So, will AD be credited as a director on the movie?

The Free Press Journal sent a message to Devgn’s team asking whether he will be credited as director on Ranger. They categorically denied this. “Ajay Sir will not be credited as the director of the movie,” said the spokesperson.

BTW, Ajay is a super filmmaker

He is officially credited as director for U, Me, Hum (2008), Shivaay (2016), Runway 34 (2022) and Bholaa (2023). Commercial success aside, he has always managed credit for being a good director.

The seeds of his direction are sowed deep within this superstar

Ajay also recently directed the entire patchwork schedule of Maa (2025). The film’s original director is Vishal Furia, but after watching the rushes of this mythological-horror, Devgn shot an entire schedule to patch things up and give it a commercial edge.

Bhansali trusted him with some key scenes in Gangubai Kathiawadi

During the pandemic in 2021, at Filmcity in Mumbai, feted and felicitated filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who was directing his favourite actress Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi, got Ajay in a key cameo as underworld don Rahim Lala. And SLB, pleasantly surprised everyone on set by handing over some key scenes featuring Ajay and Alia to Devgn. “You direct,” SLB reportedly told Ajay. This showed his faith and respect for the actor’s filmmaking talent.

Akshay too agreed to let Ajay direct

Post a private screening of Runway 34, Ajay and Akshay sat on a red sofa in the corridor of YRF preview theatre. The screening had been held only for AK, his sister Alka, niece Simar Bhatia and a couple of the Bollywood superstar’s trusted people. Post the screening, Akshay, who loved the way the story was told, had a chat with Ajay on how he would definitely consider doing a film if Ajay was directing. The two exchanged preliminary notes on the kind of subjects they would like to work on. Of course, once the pandemic was over, AK and AJ’s first round of talks on collaboration was put on the back-burner. This is a definite possibility, sometime in the future.

Published on: Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 10:00 PM IST