With four days left for the release, Ajay Devgn is going all out to promote his directorial, Runway 34. Touted to be an edge of the seat drama, the film features Devgn alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh and Boman Irani in key roles. The film was initially titled MayDay, but through the journey of shoot, Ajay decided to retitle it as Runway 34. What prompted him to change? Ajay explains, “A lot of people didn’t understand the title MayDay. They equated it to labour day.”
He adds, “The best alternative to MayDay was Runway 34 because the film is about why the captain chose Runway 34, which is the wrong Runway to land. There is a mystery to Runway Number 34 in the film. Now, I think this is a more apt title.” This is Devgn’s third film as a director and all three have been in the dramatic space. Since the actor has a knack of comedy too, would he ever want to direct a comic caper? “A lot of people who are close to me keep telling me to write a comedy. My humour is very poker faced and I often throw in a line or two in conversations. I never thought of directing a comedy, but if I get something which excites me, why not? But my comedy will also be very different,” he smiles.
Explaining his script selection process, Ajay says, “I just follow my heart. If I like something, I do it, if I don’t, I don’t do it. I am very spontaneous when it comes to selecting the script, when you follow your heart, nothing gets monotonous.” Run Time has always been crucial towards the success of a thriller and Ajay agrees, however believes that every story comes with its own runtime.
He concludes, “You should be in control of your runtime, but every story has its own runtime. There are times when an hour-long film can seem long and a three-hour film feels too short. It eventually boils down to how engaging the story is.” Watch the full video interview below.
