Mahesh Bhatt narrated 'Zakhm' to Ajay Devgn while he was in the shower, the actor ended up getting a National award for it

Among the many films in Ajay Devgn’s extensive body of work, 'Zakhm' remains one of the most understated yet impactful. Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the film has steadily gained cult status over the years and is now regarded as one of the filmmaker’s most defining creations.In a recent interview, Ajay Devgn recalled the unusual way he came on board for the film. When asked whether he had ever read a script overnight, the actor shared a memorable incident from his time shooting in Hyderabad.“I don’t remember reading any script overnight; but I do remember this one time, while shooting in Hyderabad. At the time, there were no mobile phones. I was in the shower. The hotel’s bathroom landline rang, I received it and it was Bhatt Saab (Mahesh Bhatt) on the line," he said in an interview with Variety India.Devgn then revealed how Bhatt narrated the story to him in just a couple of minutes. “He told me, ‘I want you to do a film for me,’ and I said, ‘Bhatt Saab, I am having a bath, can I call you back?’ He said, ‘No, no, one second and it will take me two minutes.’ In two minutes, he narrated Zakhm and I said, ‘Now, can I have a shower? Let me go, I am doing the film.’”The actor also spoke about Bhatt’s faith in him long before he became a star. Recalling an early memory from before his debut release, Devgn shared, “My first film hadn’t released and I was standing outside my dad’s office. A car was passing by and Bhatt Saab remarked, ‘I looked into your eyes while the car was moving. You are going to do great, trust me on that.’ That felt amazing, too.”Previously, Mahesh Bhatt had also reflected on the difficult journey of bringing Zakhm to theatres. The film, which featured Pooja Bhatt, Sonali Bendre, Kunal Khemu, and Nagarjuna Akkineni alongside Ajay Devgn, faced several hurdles during its release.Speaking at an event in 2014, Bhatt said, “The NDA was in power at that time. I was told that I must be mad to make that film. I had the toughest time to release it. It took a lot of me to get it out there. The film was made with passion and we are glad that Ajay Devgn got a National Award for it.”On the work front, Ajay Devgn was recently seen in De De Pyaar De 2, while Mahesh Bhatt’s last directorial venture was Sadak 2.