With an exacting director dad behind him, Varun Dhawan is out to prove that he can act.
Two-and-a-half years after making his debut in Karan Johar's Student of the Year, Varun Dhawan is gearing up for his next release, Main Tera Hero. While he played a spoilt campus hero in his first film, the actor graduates to a masala comedy now, directed by his father David Dhawan, which he says he did for emotional rather than commercial reasons.
"It was a privilege working with David Dhawan even though dad does raise the bar. He's worked with seasoned actors like Salman bhai (Khan) and Chi Chi bhaiya (Govinda) in the past and would often forget that this was only my second film. Even when there were other actors in the frame, he'd say that the scene depended on me. Fortunately, I thrive under pressure," he asserts.
The film opens on April 4 and post the release, Varun intends to cut himself off to prep for Sriram Raghavan's next, a thriller. "It's a different look and performance. I'll go to workshops and the gym.
You won't see me for a while until I come out to promote Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania after which I'll flag off the Any Body Can Dance sequel which will be shot in Vegas and will have another unrecognisable Varun," he promises, pointing out that he grew his hair for Humpty Sharma... and sports seven hairstyles as Sreenath Parsad in Main tera Hero.
"But the focus wasn't on hair and make-up and clothes were one size larger," he hastens to add. "I'm here because of Karan and Student of the Year, but Main Tera Hero is my chance to shrug off the pretty, chocolate boy image and prove that I can act too."
Act? In a Bollywood masala movie?
Varun insists that it's not easy pulling off a Dabangg act like Salman or boarding the Chennai Express like Shah Rukh Khan.
"The audience expect entertainment in a typical Bollywood movie so you're firing on all cylinders. I don't know how many one-film actors would agree to do a Main Tera Hero knowing that they are performing for a pan-India audience. I may piss off some pseudo-intellectuals because of the genre, but I'd be happy if I can make the aam janta recommend the film to family and friends," he says.
Growing up, Varun's heroes were Salman and Sanju sir (Sanjay Dutt) whose films he watched sitting in the stalls of Gaeity and Chandan cinema.
"There was Chi Chi bahiya too who was an important part of our family and cinematic history. He and dad created magic in the '90s. I must have imitated all these superstars when among friends but there's no attempt to ape any of them in the film, not even Chi Chi bhaiya. No one can ever replace Govinda. So why try? It's Varun all the way," he asserts, dismissing speculations about Main Tera Hero being a take off on Govinda's Hero No 1.
But buzz is, Humpty Sharam Ki Dulhaniya is a tribute to SRK-Kajol's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge with Varun and Alia Bhatt playing a modern-day Raj and Simran.
Varun vetoes the rumour saying, "DDLJ is a cult film. So, every time a love story comes up, people find similarities. But Humpty is not inspired by any character you've seen on screen before," he insists.
And what's the equation with Alia? Is she a friend or more than that? "I've said this before and I repeat, Alia is a friend and a co-star, period. And at 21 she is a grown-up," he laughs.
So, is the girl in his life Natasha Dalal, a budding designer? Mirror had reported that the couple who had parted ways after a four-year relationship, reconciled recently. Suddenly, Varun clams up, "I don't want to speak about my personal life."
The interview ends with a quick question: Is Natasha the girl in his life currently? "I won't take any names," he retorts. "All I'll say is that people want me to fall for a girl, so I will." A girl or The Girl? That draws a smile and an abrupt, "No comments."
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