Hit parade
Nothing turns heads like an actor who's big at the box-office. Varun Dhawan is turning a lot of heads these days. This is what happens when you have a string of hits. All his five films have done decently at the box-office. Badlapur brought in critical acclaim and his last one ABCD2 got the whopping numbers at ticket windows. Clued in showbiz types, noticed him in his debut movie Student Of The Year. And they predicted big things for him. Well, he's proved them right. But Varun isn't the one to rest on his laurels. Most actors celebrate their success by popping champagne, Varun on the other hand is on the look out for yet another challenging role. If his upcoming movies are any indication, his career trajectory is set to take a steep upward turn. At least that's what the pundits claim. And they know best, don't they? In a freewheeling conversation, the actor talks about what it means to be Varun Dhawan at this point in time. Read on...
The recent Filmfare poll listed you as the next superstar.
Ya. And I'm truly grateful for it. But I believe it's the women who're rocking it right now. There's been talk on pay equality and the fact that it cannot happen in India because it's a male chauvinist country. But with Kangana Ranaut's and Deepika Padukone's performances this year, we aren't far away from that. Kangana and Deepika are leading that change. And it's not just about performance. You have to back it up with business. And they have done that. The trend started last year with films like Highway, Queen and Finding Fanny and NH-10 this year.
What have you learnt about yourself as an actor? Are you a method actor or a spontaneous one?
I'm an emotional actor. I don't want to get into this method and spontaneity debate. For most actors there are only two rules. But there's a third one where you actually become the character. And you cannot do that unless you have the method and the spontaneity. In Badlapur, there's very little of Varun Dhawan.
I became a different person. That's because I could merge both method and spontaneity.
How important is a co-star for you to give off your best?
Most important. When I got into Badlapur, we sat on the casting for two-three months. All of us Yami (Gautam), Huma (Qureshi), Nawazuddin (Siddiqui) and I sat together and discussed our characters. I was dying to work with Nawaz. He was one of themain reasons I did the film. I said get Nawaz and I'll do it. I am fortunate to have worked with such a fine talent. Also, remember the film is bigger than the actors.
You always knew you'd reach here. Where did this confidence come from?
Call it intuition. Call it spirituality. Call it vision. I've still not reached where I want to. There's a long way to go. Anything can go wrong and anything can go right too. I just knew that if I wanted to achieve something, I could do it. If Usain Bolt can run the 100 metres so fast, why can't I? When people speak about nepotism preventing success, I see it as an excuse. You have to work hard to get somewhere. Look at Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He was a watchman. His is the most inspiring story. For all the actors who are reading this, you should hear Nawaz's story, hear Amitabh Bachchan's story, Shah Rukh Khan's story, Akshay Kumar's story, Sidharth Malhotra's story. If they can do it why can't you? This nepotism thing has been pushed so much by the media that unfortunately youngsters have started believing that if your father or brother doesn't belong to the industry you can't make it. It becomes a deterrent. That's wrong.
Would you ever do a hard-hitting movie like Badlapur again?
I won't be doing anything like that any time soon. ABCD2 was a happy film. Dishoom is also a happy go lucky film. My brother's (Rohit Dhawan) film belongs to a different genre. Badlapur has put me on the map. I had always wanted to do dark movies. I enjoyed thrillers like the TV series Dexter and films like the American Psycho. So I've just done something I've always wanted to do. People here say they want to do dark films but dark ko haath bhi nahin lagate hum. If I do dark cinema again, it will have to be as stark as Badlapur or even more.
Your thoughts on Dilwale.
Dilwale is one film I'm not stressed about. I have zero stress. It has blockbuster written all over it.
Doesn't it say something about your talent that you've been picked up to fill Salman Khan's and Hrithik Roshan's shoes in Shuddhi?
It says something. Yes. But I have to prove that something' now. When you do something, there's good and bad said about you. The people who say well are your die-hard supporters. I have to live up to their expectations. So that they don't look like fools because of the person they're vouching for.
You're always be pitted against your Student Of The Year (SOTY) co-star Sidharth Malhotra...
That is a media thing. I've delinked myself from the whole thing. In fact I find it boring now. Every time we three come together, people expect us to break into the Disco deewane dance. SOTY did a lot for us and I can never thank Karan (Johar) enough for putting the three of us out there. But all three of us have the talent and the intelligence to branch out individually. That's exactly what's happening.
What's the one good thing and one bad thing about your co-stars Alia Bhatt and Shraddha Kapoor?
The one good thing about them is that they both want to work with me. Also they are both good singers. The bad thing is they think they're better singers than me.
How difficult was it doing romantic scenes in ABCD2 with Shraddha Kapoor who's your childhood friend?
Not really. When I'm doing a film, I become that character and shut out all the other noise. You have to get the work done because there's so much money riding on it. We would have light moments but we were helping each other otherwise.
Whom would you date, marry or kill between Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra?
I'd marry Shraddha because we gel well together. It would be fun to date Priyanka. And I'll kill Deepika. (Winks) She's dating Ranveer so might as well kill her.
Whose dancing skills get you envious?
Prabhudheva! I just can't compete with him.
What's the one hardship you've overcome?
I broke my nose during the shooting of SOTY. I got a corrective surgery done. I came back and did the Disco Deewane song.
What's the one regret you have?
I've made many mistakes. But my one regret is I haven't concentrated on my health and wellness. I hope to correct it.
What's the funniest rumour you've heard about yourself?
I read somewhere that I have a child. I was like where did this come from. Luckily for me, no one believed it.
What would you like to change about the industry?
The financial aspect , the pay structure, the marketing structure. The censorship issues. Ticket pricing. Entertainment taxes. There are so many issues that need fixing.
How do you turn down a film?
My dad and brother Rohit are directors. So I know what it's like to latkao someone. I say it honestly that I don't want to do this film. Of course, it's never easy to say no.
Has anyone ever called your bluff?
Karan (Johar) always calls my bluff. He knows when I'm lying. I can never lie to him.
What's the best compliment your brother Rohit has given you?
He said Badlapur was my most consistent and best performance to date. He also says don't worry about success. And his advice is don't get too big for your boots.
Finally, what else do you want at this point?
I want to do another film with my father. My brother's film is special to me. It's an amazing script. I'm looking to crack it. I want to work with new age directors like Shoojit Sircar, Aanand L Rai, Anurag Basu, Imtiaz Ali... I want to work with my co-star Yami Gautam again. I definitely want to work with Remo (Fernandes) sir again. It's been an enriching experience. I'm also working with Shashank (Khaitan, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania) for sure. This is just the beginning.
Anupamaa
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