/> Ajay Devgn has much reason to smile. Not only has his latest film opened to packed houses, an old friend turned ...well, not quite foe... but close enough, went out of his way to give Devgn reason to believe he's special.

We're talking about Prakash Jha who opened the doors of his newly-constructed Cineplex in Patna three weeks in advance to accommodate Singham.

Flashback.... They were the the best friends. Now they are not quite enemies.

But serious differences did crop up between Ajay and Prakash when his new coterie of colleagues and directors informed Devgn that Prakash was taking advantage of his friendship with the star. The provocation?

The role in Raajneeti which Devgn apparently felt did scant justice to his presence.

Jha thought otherwise. He felt Devgn was as central to Raajneeti as Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal or Manoj Bajpai. Things soured between Jha and Devgn who had done a series of films together (Gangaajal, Apaharan, Dil Kya Kare) to the extent that Devgn opted out of Aarakshan, the role that Saif Ali Khan has done , definitely the central role.

Ironically Prakash Jha preponed the opening of his cineplex in Patna at the cost of Aarakshan. The Patna theatres were to open with Aarakshan on August 12. But Prakash wanted his old friend's potential blockbuster to be the inaugural film at the theatres.

Work was undertaken on a war footing to ready the multiplex this week in time for Singham. At one point, it seemed impossible for Jha's team in Patna to meet their boss' seemingly impossible deadline.

But the cineplexes did open with Singham this Friday.

And Prakash Jha is happy. "I am glad Ajay's film opened my theatres in Patna. He has always been very important to my career and is also a very dear friend. Aarakshan can come later. Right now I'm just happy to see Singham doing so well in my theatres. "

The move towards a rapprochement between the director and star seems inevitable. Now if only Devgn's current coterie of favourites would make way?