Not expecting 'Drishyam' to do Rs 150 crore business: Ajay

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn says though he believes that "Drishyam" will do well at the Box Office, he does not expect the movie to do Rs 150 crore business.

"Drishyam", a murder mystery set in Goa, directed by Nishikant Kamat, which has Ajay, Shriya Saran and Tabu in lead roles, releases on July 31.

"I am sure it ("Drishyam") will do well. With today's market changing box office (fate) of such films depend on word of mouth. We are not expecting this film to do Rs 150 crore (business at box office). This film is made in a limited budget and if it does decently and covers the cost its good. If the budget is big then it is a problem," Ajay told PTI.

The 46-year-old actor said as a star there is pressure of doing a film that does good business at the box office.

"As a star there is a pressure that you need to have certain collection (box office collection of a movie) but as an actor the day I get a script with which I don't have the pressure... I don't have to bother how the film is going to perform as word of mouth is going to be strong..I do it," he said.

"They are not pot boilers that open on big scale. When you are sure that the film is so nice that word of mouth is going to be strong then you decide to do the film so there is no insecurity. Otherwise there is always insecurity of how it will perform and all," the "Singham" protagonist said.

After long time Ajay will be seen in a serious intense performance-oriented role in "Drishyam" and he said he did miss doing such roles.

"I was missing it in a way... There was lot of demand for it. lot of people told me why I am not doing films like 'Zakhm', 'Company', 'Gangajal', 'Omkara'. It ('Drishyam') is a brilliant film I think it deserves to be seen by maximum number of people," Ajay said.

"Drishyam" is a remake of the Malayalam film of the same name that had Mohanlal in the lead.

"I have not seen the south version of this film. I just heard the screenplay and story I did not want to see the original film. It is edge of the seat thriller what you expect doesn't happen...It is not complicated or over intelligent it is very simple," Ajay said.

"It is difficult to make interesting promo of such films. The promo is gripping and the film is more gripping,".

In the film Ajay plays a family man, who is pitted against Tabu, who essays the role of a cop in search of her son, presumably killed by the former.

For quite some Ajay has played larger than life role in his films but this time with "Drishyam" he is playing a simple man and he does think audience will accept him in this new avatar.

"They will accept me as I am not playing a weak character. With the kind of films and image I have on screen if I would have played a weak character then the audience wouldn't have accepted," he said.

"But in this film this man is fighting and winning... He is beating not physically but mentally with his brain.  He confuses the whole police force and how he does it is extraordinary," he added.

At a time when actors shy away from playing the role of a father Ajay did not think of it as a risk.

"I did think of it as a risk. Also in this film I am suppose to play a 40-year-old man. I don't have a problem playing an older role. Today things have changed people look for characters and roles that push them and age is not a bar," Ajay said.

"Playing older role is ok. Yes only if the character is interesting. If it justifies then I think I can do it."