MUMBAI: Ajay Devgan has never believed in walking the conventional path. When an offer came to him to promote his next, Golmaal Returns by offering prayers at Lalbaug-cha Raja, the actor flatly refused saying he wouldn't want to use god like that.

Says a source close to Ajay, "Though Ajay is an extremely religious person who has Ganpati in his office and often visits religious places like Tirupati and Ajmer Shariff, for him god and worship are very sacrosanct and private beliefs. Being an intensely private individual, he doesn't like a public show of those beliefs.

So when an offer came from some people involved with the Lalbaugcha Raja puja to promote GR he said no without hesitation. Ajay told Rohit Shetty, GR's director, through whom the offer came, that he'd prefer to pray in his heart rather than offer prayers at such a public place and use god like that."

Rohit admits that such a thing happened. "An association linked to Lalbaugcha Raja approached me saying that the whole cast and crew could come for prayers so when I asked why they were inviting us they said to promote Golmaal Returns. Though I've visited Lalbaug-cha Raja many times I have never been there to promote my films and to suddenly do it was like 'Bhagwan ko ullu banaya'.

I told Ajay about it and we both rejected the offer. Ajay was adamant that we not go. He said that to go as devotees and then promote one's film is not done. There's a limit to promotion. It should stop at god at least. I believe in praying at home."

Rohit says Ajay has been down with a viral ever since his last trip to Bangkok but that hasn't stopped the actor from completing his dubbing. "His voice has been particularly bad but then he had to complete the dubbing as he's leaving for Paris today. Even though he was very unwell, he and the rest of the three boys Arshad, Tusshar and Shreyas appeared on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on Monday to shoot for it. Golmaal hai promote toh karna padega na?"