Ajay Devgn

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Reader's Guide

For playing the title role in Tanhaji, he won his third National Film Award for Best Actor. His significance lies in his sustained career spanning over three decades, his multiple National Film Awards, and his ability to transition from action and romantic roles to critically acclaimed dramatic performances.

Did You Know?

• Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior marks Devgn's 100th film since joining Bollywood 20 years ago.
• Devgn produced Tanhaji under his own production company Ajay Devgn FFilms, alongside T-Series Films.
• The film was originally named Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior but was later changed to Tanhaji for numerological reasons.
• Devgn won his third National Film Award for Best Actor for playing the title role in Tanhaji.
• Tanhaji was the highest grossing Hindi film of 2020 and the highest grossing Indian film of 2020.

The Hundredth Film and the Road to It

Ajay Devgn's Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior carried enormous personal weight, arriving as his one hundredth feature film after two decades in Hindi cinema. The path to this milestone was not straightforward. Devgn had initially greenlit a large-scale war epic called Sons of Sardaar: Battle of Saragarhi, set against the 1897 clash between twenty-one Sikh defenders and ten thousand Afghan soldiers. He planned to begin shooting in late 2016 and release on Diwali the following year, but when Karan Johar announced Kesari covering the same battle, Devgn postponed the project and ultimately shelved it by late February 2019. He then pivoted to a Maratha-era story with director Om Raut, who was making his Bollywood debut after earning recognition for Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush in 2015. The project was officially launched in July 2017, originally titled Taanaji before being renamed. Principal photography ran from late September 2018 through May 2019, shot primarily at Film City in Mumbai with select scenes in Pune. The film was produced jointly under T-Series Films and Devgn's own Ajay Devgn FFilms banner, and it was simultaneously dubbed into Marathi to meet popular demand.

A Warrior's Sacrifice on Screen

The narrative follows Tanhaji Malusare from his childhood training in swordsmanship under his father Kaloji, who is slain in a Mughal raid on their village of Umrat in 1647. Seventeen years later, the grown Tanhaji serves as a military commander under Shivaji Maharaj. After the Battle of Purandar forces Shivaji to surrender twenty-three forts including the strategically vital Kondhana, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb installs Rajput general Udaybhan Rathod to garrison the stronghold and deploy a massive cannon called Naagin against Maratha positions. A treacherous Maratha noble, Chandraji Pisal, leaks the planned recapture strategy to Udaybhan, who lures Tanhaji into a false engagement. Captured and tortured, Tanhaji is secretly freed by Jagat Singh, a Mughal subordinate. On the night of Ashtami in February 1670, Tanhaji leads a daring assault up Kondhana's steep walls. In the climactic duel he loses an arm yet kills Udaybhan and hurls him and the cannon over a cliff. Mortally wounded, he plants the Bhagwa Dhwaj before collapsing. Shivaji's lament—'The fort has been captured, but the lion is lost'—encapsulates the film's emotional core, while Tanhaji's widow Savitribai fulfills a private vow to dress as a bride in his memory.

A Blockbuster That Redefined 2020

Released across India on 10 January 2020 in 3D, 2D, and conventional formats, Tanhaji became the year's dominant cinematic event. It grossed 387.65 crore rupees worldwide—equivalent to roughly 456 crore or 47 million US dollars when adjusted to 2023 values—claiming the titles of both the highest-grossing Hindi film and the highest-grossing Indian film of that year. Critics and audiences alike praised the ensemble cast, with particular acclaim for Devgn's and Saif Ali Khan's performances, alongside the visual effects, cinematography by Keiko Nakahara, action choreography, art direction, and the musical work. The soundtrack featured compositions by Ajay–Atul, Sachet–Parampara, and Mehul Vyas under the T-Series label, while Sandeep Shirodkar crafted the background score. Supporting roles were filled by Kajol, Neha Sharma, Sharad Kelkar, and Luke Kenny. The film's commercial and critical dominance cemented it as a landmark release in Devgn's career and in the broader Hindi film industry.

Acclaim on the National and International Stage

Tanhaji's success extended well beyond the box office into a remarkable run of award recognition. At the 68th National Film Awards, the film collected three honors: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Actor for Devgn, and Best Costume Design. At the 66th Filmfare Awards, it attracted thirteen nominations spanning categories including Best Film and Best Actor for Devgn, and ultimately took home four trophies, among them Best Director for Om Raut and Best Supporting Actor for Saif Ali Khan. On the international stage, Tanhaji was selected as one of the Best Foreign Film entries screened at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, a notable distinction for a Hindi-language production. The breadth of this recognition—spanning state-level honors, industry guild awards, and a Hollywood ceremony—underscored the film's cultural resonance and its role in elevating Devgn's standing as both a performer and a producer through his Ajay Devgn FFilms banner.