Varun Dhawan fought stage fright

Actor Varun Dhawan, a confident dancer and versatile actor, says stage fright was a hiccup he overcame by observing veterans in the industry.

The makers of Rani Mukerji's "Hichki" are promoting the film uniquely by asking prominent personalities to share their untold weaknesses and how they eventually converted them into massive strengths.

On this, Varun said in a statement: "When I walked up onstage for the first time, I just froze. Seeing Madhuri Dixit, the late Srideviji and so many cinema idols in the front rows, I lost my tongue for some time.

"And when I did speak, I spoke so fast that I was barely coherent. Since I had never faced issues while facing the camera, this 'hichki' came up quite unexpectedly. I decided to address it by listening to and observing my idols."

The star of films like "Badlapur" and "Badrinath Ki Dulhania" said this didn't work in his favour immediately.

"But gradually, I did learn how to tackle this challenge. I practised on it and eventually, could perform and speak onstage well. Setting your mind to it, I think, all of us can overcome all these hiccups," he said.

Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and produced by Maneesh Sharma, "Hichki" will release on Friday.