Prabhu, what were you thinking?

In recent times, not many films barring Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan, her husband Shirish Kunder’s Joker and her brother Sajid Khan’s Humshakals have been savaged by critics as strongly as Action Jackson.

The volume of vitriol hurled at this vile film has left its makers stunned. Apparently, Ajay Devgn cannot decide now which is a bigger embarrassment for him: Sajid Khan’s Himmatwala or this. Maybe he can toss a coin. And then throw the same coin in a wishing well hoping his next release is not such an unmitigated embarrassment.

Even harder hit is the God-fearing, simple, straightforward workaholic Prabhu Deva, who maintains he was only doing his job. “I made the film with all honesty. Some films are liked, others are not. It’s all part of the game.” For Prabhu, AJ is his first failure in Hindi cinema after a record of uninterrupted hits starting with Wanted, which revived Salman Khan’s sagging career. The joke that is making the rounds in the film industry is while Wanted brought back Salman’s career,  AJ has taken away Ajay’s career.

What is shocking to Prabhu Deva’s ardent fans is the vulgarity of presentation. Says Prabha Sinha, a housewife from Patna who doesn’t miss any of Sonakshi’s films,  “We are all very proud of Sonakshi for her stardom. But what kind of films is she doing? In Action Jackson she keeps staring at Ajay Devgn’s private parts and considers them lucky. It’s carrying ling puja to another level.”

Interestingly Sonakshi’s next release is titled, ahem, Lingaa. And what about Prabhu Deva? What was he thinking when he participated in the lewd below-the-belt jokes? Certainly not about the fan following he has among kids. “I was only doing my job,” he maintains.