This action director, who once ran away from home as a teenager, went on to become one of the most respected names in Bollywood. His son today is a top actor, featuring in two major film franchises. The superstar once recalled how his father left home at the age of 13, lived on Mumbai’s streets, and even got involved in gang life before making his way into cinema.We’re talking about the legendary action director Veeru Devgan and his superstar son Ajay Devgn.On Koffee With Karan in 2023, Ajay revealed that his father’s life was far from glamorous in the beginning. Veeru Devgan left his Punjab home as a teenager and arrived in Mumbai with no plan and not even a ticket. With no money or shelter, he ended up in jail. Later, a taxi driver offered him a place to sleep in exchange for washing his cab.Ajay shared that his father took on odd jobs, including carpentry, before getting involved with street gangs in the Sion Koliwada area of Mumbai. “He became a gangster,” Ajay said candidly.Everything changed when filmmaker Ravi Khanna spotted him fighting on the street. Impressed by his raw style, Khanna gave Veeru a chance as a stuntman. Slowly but steadily, he established himself as one of Hindi cinema’s leading action directors, choreographing stunts across the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s.Veeru’s legacy carried forward when Ajay Devgn entered films with Phool Aur Kaante, a massive box office success that launched him as a star. Over the years, Ajay has built an empire reportedly worth over Rs 427–450 crore.The action director passed away at the age of 84 on May 27, 2019.
