I’m playing a different kind of role in Bawaal: Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan is one of the highest-paid Bollywood actors. His father, David Dhawan, a director, is known as the comedy king of Bollywood film industry.

Born on April 24, 1987, Varun studied at the Nottingham Trent University before venturing into the film industry.

Fortunate to be born in Dhawan family before joining films, he worked as an assistant director to Karan Johar, who gave first break to Varun and Alia Bhatt in the film, Student of the Year.

That film was a box-office success and helped Varun in becoming a famous star overnight. The audience appreciated him for his acting skills and his onscreen chemistry with Alia.

The 35-year-old has been acting in Bollywood films for over 10 years now, and has performed different kinds of characters in films and has done justice to most of his performances.

Some of his favourite films are Sui Dhaga, Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania, Badlapur, Badlapur Ki Dulhania, Dishoom, Main Tera Hero, October, Bhedia and Jug Jug Jiyo.

In Badrinath Ki Dulhania, he plays a wealthy person’s son, Badri, who meets Alia (Vaidehi) in a wedding ceremony and both fall in love. Incidentally, Badri wants to marry Vaidehi but she still has a dream to fulfil — of becoming an air-hostess.

The film got much appreciation because Varun and Alia’s on-screen chemistry worked very well and their acting skills got recognised by the common audience and their fans.

Even Varun says, “This film is very close to my heart.”

The star is now readying himself for the upcoming flick Bawaal, in which he is paired with Janhvi Kapoor. The movie is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwani Aiyer Tiwari.

The actor recently came to Delhi as guest of honour for an event by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Q: What kind of a role are you playing in Bawaal?

A: I am playing a very different kind of role in Bawaal. I have grown a beard, am riding a bullet and my look is entirely different from my other [previous] roles. But I am confident fans and audience will love to see me in a different appearance. I have worked very hard in this film.

Q: Where all is Bawaal being shot?

A: Bawaal’s shooting is being done in Uttar Pradesh but some scenes will be shot in five European cities, including Paris.

Q: Would you like to share your memories from Delhi?

A: Yes, I love Delhi. I still remember living in the posh colony of south Delhi’s Greater Kailash. I have friends and a lot of well-wishers in Delhi.

Now,  I am privileged to visit Delhi as an artist. Whenever I come to Delhi for the promotion of my films, I feel excited as many young college students ask me how they can join Bollywood films. My father used to tell me that if you have a degree from the Film Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, then it is easier to join films.

Q: Tell us about your experience of shooting in Poland. Did you find people there who watch Hindi cinema?

A: Cinema connects audiences worldwide. I still recall that while I was shooting in Poland, some European people came and told me that they have seen Bollywood films on Amazon Prime and they love Indian films. No doubt, Bollywood films are recognised by millions across the globe.

Q: How does it feel to be the son of a famous film director?

A:  I am fortunate to be born into the Dhawan family and have a father like David Dhawan who is a legend. But the common audience doesn’t know that my father took cinematic course from the prestigious FTII. He is a gold-medallist from FTII which is a very big thing.

Q: Are you happy with the initiative taken by the information and broadcasting ministry in collaboration with Amazon?

A: Yes, it is a very important initiative taken by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the dynamic leadership of minister Anurag Thakur who is passionate about cinema and always ready to do something for the younger generation. Surely, this is one of the major decisions taken by him. Now that he has collaborated with Amazon, it will boost our Bollywood industry and will give a chance to upcoming young guys who want to join Bollywood films. This will give them a big platform to try their luck.

Q: How do you feel after working in the Bollywood film industry for the last 10 years?

A: As an actor, I can say that every day I am learning and working very hard in every project. I love to entertain my fans. I work with honesty and a lot of patience so that I can give my best to my audience.

I am very happy and satisfied with my films and my career in which I have played various roles. I am fortunate to work with noted directors such as Shashank Khaitan, Sri Ram Raghvan, Rohit Shetty, Remo D’ Souza and David Dhawan among others and I can say that it’s a beautiful journey and I enjoyed working with all these wonderful directors a lot.

Q: Any unforgettable incident or memory you would like to share with your audience and fans?

A: I still recall shooting in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh [for Bhediya]. I had worked very hard to keep myself fit and spent almost six months so that I could play the role of a wolf and perform my character according to the demand of that particular role. I enjoyed shooting in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh which is a beautiful state. But it was very tough to transform myself into a wolf. However, director Amar Kaushik gave me useful ideas and I did it with proper guidance and succeeded.

Q: Do you love comedy?

A: I love comedy and enjoy working in such films. In fact, I always love to make and act in comedy films which gives healthy entertainment to the common audience and fans.