Ajay Devgn, Action Jackson@45

Among Bollywood's most versatile actor, Ajay Devgn can still give heroes half his age a run for their money as he turns a year older. Whether it is a nailbiting stunt or a comic role, the actor - whose Action Jackson and Singham 2 are set for release this year - manages to keep his audience hooked to the silver screen. Here's a look at his journey on his 45th birthday.

Ajay Devgn was born on April 2, 1969 in New Delhi. His real name is Vishal Veeru Devgan.

Ajay's father, Veeru Devgan, is a stunt choreographer and his mother, Veena, has produced the film Dil Kya Kare (1999). His brother Anil Devgan is a director.

Ajay is an alumnus of Mumbai's Bappu School and Mithibai College.

Ajay and actress Kajol began what was considered an unlikely romance in 1994. On February 23, 1999, the couple married in a traditional Maharashtrian ceremony at Ajay's home. Kajol quit her hugely successful career, prompting wide-spread criticism.

The couple have a nine-year-old daughter named Nysa and a three-year-old son named Yug.

Ajay Devgn made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante (1991), in which he played the son of Amrish Puri. His performance won him a Filmfare Best Debut Award.

Among the many action films of Ajay's early career was Ek Hi Raasta (1993) opposite Raveena Tandon.

Ajay then shifted focus to comedy films, such as Ishq in 1997, which also featured Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla and future wife Kajol.

In 1999, Ajay starred in Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha opposite Kajol, one of the biggest hits of that year.

Then came Mahesh Bhatt's Zakhm (1998), the film that won him his first National Award for Best Actor.

Ajay saw further success in 1999 when Sanjay Leela Bhansali cast him opposite Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, which was a critical and commercial success. Ajay's performance in the film earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare Awards.

Ajay then formed a partnership with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, resulting in several successful projects. In 2002, the drama Company earned him his second Star Screen Award for Best Actor.

Then came Rajkumar Santoshi's The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) which won him his second National Award for Best Actor.

In 2004, Ajay starred in several critically acclaimed films, including Mani Ratnam's Yuva and Rituparno Ghosh's Raincoat.

In 2006, the title role in Omkara, Vishal Bharadwaj's critically acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, made Ajay a darling of the critics. The film also featured Kareena Kapoor as his Desdemona and Saif Ali Khan playing the villainous Iago.

Golmaal was Ajay Devgn's second movie in 2006 and as different from Omkara as any film could possibly be. A comedy directed by Rohit Shetty, Golmaal also featured Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi and Tusshar Kapoor. It got positive reviews and turned out to be a surprise hit at the box office.

In 2007, Ajay was seen in the doomed Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, a remake of the classic Sholay. The film was a major failure, critically as well as commercially.

Ajay's first 2008 release, Halla Bol, was not a box office success, but his performance won praise from critics.

Ajay turned director with U Me Aur Hum in 2008, in which he featured opposite his wife Kajol. The film received positive reviews and was moderately successful.

In 2010 came Prakash Jha's Rajneeti. A political thriller, the film saw actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal, Naseeruddin Shah and Nana Patekar in pivotal roles. Ajay's performance in the movie was well received by critics and the film was declared a blockbuster.

Milan Luthria's Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai released the same year and became one of the top grossers of 2010. Ajay was also nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the movie.

At the end of the year, he reunited with director Rohit Shetty for Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the hit 2006 film.

Ajay Devgn's 2011 film Singham, opposite Southern siren Kajal Aggarwal, was a blockbuster hit and starred Ajay as a bare-chested cop in the vein of Salman Khan's super successful Chulbul Pandey.

His comic act in 2012's Bol Bachchan was well received by the audience. A Rohit Shetty film, it grossed Rs 150 crore worldwide and was declared a blockbuster.

But 2012 ended on a bitter note when Ajay took on Yash Raj Films alleging that they had used their clout to keep his film Son Of Sardaar out of theatres in favour of their own, Jab Tak Hai Jaan starring Shah Rukh Khan. Ajay filed a complaint with the Competition Commission Of India (CCI) which refused to stay the release of Jab Tak Hai Jaan but did order an enquiry into the matter.

Directed by Ashwini Dhir, Son of Sardaar, which also features Sonakshi Sinha in the lead, was a superhit at the box office.

In 2013, Ajay Devgn was seen in Sajid Khan's Himmatwala opposite Southern siren Tamannaah. The film, a remake of the 1983 blockbuster of the same name, was a disaster at the box office.

Ajay Devgn was next seen in Prakash Jha's political thriller Satyagraha, which also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Amrita Rao in pivotal roles. The movie did average business commercially.

Ajay Devgn will next be seen in Prabhu Deva's Action Jackson and Rohit Shetty's Singham 2. Both movies are scheduled to release this year.

We wish Ajay a very happy birthday and a great year ahead.