It's twice as nice for Dhawan

ACTOR VARUN STEPS INTO HIT COMEDY FRANCHISE WITH A DYNAMIC DOUBLE ROLE 

RAPIDLY rising star Varun Dhawan has been on an incredible high and seen his films consistently light up the box office. He will be hoping to continue that sparkling run with his latest film Judwaa 2. The big budget comedy of errors directed by his father David Dhawan sees him playing a double role.  

The colourful musical, which also stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu, was extensively shot in London and is the next instalment in the franchise made famous by Salman Khan. I caught up with Varun to talk about Judwaa 2, his remarkable rise, fans, comedy and more. 

An established star recently said to me that you have a better understanding of the mass audience than other young stars. Where does that come from? 

I really don’t know and can’t really say. But the thing I used to do when I was much younger was go to cinema halls a lot. More than watching the films I used to look at people watching those films. I would look at how the audience was reacting to the various things happening onscreen and how I was feeling. I was constantly looking at what worked with actors including certain emotions. So I am a student of cinema as we all are, and continue to be. Whenever I do a film, I think about these things and how much entertainment and fun I can give people. 

You must be secretly happy that your success rate is far higher than the younger generation.  

(Laughs) I love the fact that you said secretly Asjad. It’s no secret and I am very happy obviously. But I am really happy honestly when my fraternity does well. I want the entire film industry to do well so it’s not only about my happiness. If the entire industry does well the quality of films, look and general outlook will improve. 

How did you feel when you were asked to step into a franchise made famous my Salman Khan?

Honestly I was taken by shock. I remember it was around 9.30 in the morning when Sajid Nadiadwala and my dad told me, you are doing this film. They said don’t ask too many questions, you will get the script in six months. So I had a good six months to let it sink in. I was sceptical initially about how I would pull this off, how people would react and whether they would like it. But at the end of the day I just went with the flow. I knew it was a great story to tell and was in really good hands with my dad directing. This is his 44th film and I love doing this genre. 

Is comedy the genre you are happiest in? 

I am obviously happy when the audience is laughing and when you are on set people are cracking jokes. Who doesn’t want to be happy? We all want to be happy. Getting the chance to spread happiness in the world is for me like a service and I feel good about that. 

What was the experience of shooting Judwaa 2 in London like?  

It was absolutely amazing. We were in London for almost 40 days, shooting in different areas, houses and colleges. It was cold at times and the UK weather was unpredictable as we all know. There was a day when I was shooting on top of a bus when it was three degrees celsius and I was bare-bodied. That was difficult. (Laughs) I got my ass kicked that day.  

Is there a location you love most in London? 

I love everything about London. I love Camden Town and did a photoshoot there. I also did a shoot in Brick Lane. I made sure I didn’t want to do that photoshoot at tourist spots. I wanted to do it in different areas I had visited. Camden Town is a place I enjoyed hanging out in. 

A big challenge of a double role film is to keep the two personalities separate. How did you approach that in Judwaa 2?  

That was like two different facets of me. I have studied in England and had a lot to draw upon for the character based here. The connection to the Mumbai role was that I was born and brought up in that city. So I drew on personal experiences for each role and luckily I had some identification for each. But it is a tough job when you are doing it to create comedy. 

What can you tell us about the Judwaa 2 story?  

What I can tell you is that the film is a reboot and the story is completely new. Raja from Mumbai travels to London where he meets his twin brother, but doesn’t know that it is his brother because of prior events. Then actions have reactions and that’s how the craziness and madness starts, but it’s essentially a story about two brothers, family and emotions connected to that. There is a lot of comedy and crazy situations that arise. 

What was is it like being directed by your father David Dhawan and can you put the family dynamic aside on set? 

We totally put the family dynamic aside and if someone didn’t know, they would think we were not related, the way he treats me (laughs). I think that is one of the best things about working with him is that we push each other to do better and achieve better. That is what is amazing about working with each other. He is an amazing director and has nothing left to prove. He is a master of this genre and for me as a newcomer it a privilege to work with him. 

How do Taapsee Pannu and Jacqueline Fernandez compare to other leading ladies you have worked with? 

These two are amazing and completely the opposite of each other. One similarity is that they always keep me entertained. Taapsee loves talking, but she is a very talented girl and very hungry as an actor. She wants to prove a point and improve with every film, supports the entire scene and is not selfish. Jacky is one of the most positive people to be on set with. According to me she is one of the unique selling points of the film with the comedy she has done. She has matched the comic timing of a lot of established actors. She really supported me in the film too. 

What kinds of comedy films do you like watching yourself? 

I like watching all sorts like movies by Will Ferrell. I love the Hangover series, Family Guy and a whole bunch of stuff. 

You are really great with comedy on screen. Do you find yourself under pressure to be funny in real life?  

(Laughs) I am alright and pretty chilled out.  I like to be funny, but sometimes there is a little pressure to be funny, but I am pretty normal otherwise. 

Your films have done so well. Do you now feel under pressure ahead the release of each film? 

If you want to do big things in life there is always going to be pressure, so you have to just kind of go with it. 

Why should we watch Judwaa 2?  

I really hope you go watch the film, Asjad. Forget that we are doing the interview. The film has so much to offer. There are certain things we have done today with reflex action that are more today, crazy and zany. I just hope everyone sees it’s going in a new space and feels new to them. 

What does it mean to you that your fans are so dedicated?  

It is incredible. It all started with Student Of The Year and they have stuck by me all through this journey. I couldn’t have been here without them. They make someone popular or a star and actually make me work harder to be a better actor. I know that they put their reputations on the line every time they support me. 

What is the Varun Dhawan master plan?  

(Laughs) There is no plan at all. But there wouldn’t be much of a master plan if I told everyone. It’s just to do different things, surprise people and to pull the bunny out of the hat.