Varun Dhawan: Alia is not my best friend, but she is special

Meeting Varun Dhawan is always a delightful experience. Unlike many other superstars who wear their most amicable face during film promotions and go back to hiding behind ‘dark glasses’ otherwise, Varun is transparent. He always wears his best profile, knows what he wants and is fully tuned in to what he is selling, whether it is his film or his talent. With him, what you see is usually what it is. For this alone, you have to give him hundred on hundred.

Over to Gen-Now’s sweetheart; yup, he has a huge draw at the box office and he knows it. Excerpts...

Is Alia Bhatt your best friend?

I wouldn’t say Alia is my best friend. My best friend is Aman Malhotra, who lives three buildings away from me. I met him at the age of two. And I have another friend called Ankit. So, if I take Alia’s name, they will get upset (smiles).

But she is definitely a very close friend of mine. Rarely do you form a close connection with someone you work with. But in her case, my relationship with her goes beyond work. We have formed a successful pair having begun with Student Of The Year (2012)  and then Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). We’re here today with Kalank that releases on April 17. Whether I work with her or not in the immediate future, it doesn’t matter. She and I share a bond.

Did you really mean it when you said earlier that Kalank is your last film together?

It was a joke. We won’t be working together for some time now. That’s the way life has it. Her forthcoming movies (Brahmastra, RRR, Insha Allah) and my next slate of projects (Coolie No 1, Street Dancer, Shashank Khaitan’s next), will take a lot of our individual time. In fact, the one I’m doing with Shashank (Khaitan), titled Rannbhoomi, will actually take a year to make.

The actor with Alia Bhatt 

Is Alia not in it?

The makers haven’t started the casting for Rannbhoomi yet. It’s got a lot of VFX and we’re trying to do something new in terms of technology as well. I don’t know when we (Alia and I) will work together next.

Considering we won’t see Alia and you together for a while now makes Kalank even more special, doesn’t it? There is a certain screen chemistry between the two of you.

I think it’s something that just kind of happened. Definitely, we did work hard on it, we knew we were on to something special.

Alia and I knew people love watching us on the big screen. I think what they recognise is the drive that we both have towards our work, we don’t take it for granted. We are very passionate about what we do. It’s not that we meet, get along and that translates on screen. Of course, that’s also a part of the whole thing, but the other part is the hard work, the practice, the rehearsals and the focus. If we call each other, it’s about work. Whether it’s 8 am or 2 am, we’re discussing how we can do better. She is someone who is my equal as far as our collaborations go. I’m slightly arrogant when it comes to my films and knowledge of cinema. But she is superior to me in terms of craft. Drive-wise, I won’t say she is better, but she is equal. And she will also agree with this. It’s like a line in our song in Kalank, ‘Hazaaron mein kisi ko taqdeer aisi mili hai, Raanjha aur Heer jaisi.’ That kind of sums up our relationship, which translates into our onscreen chemistry. 

The film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kunal Kemmu and Sonakshi Sinha. Then, why are people rooting for just the two of you?

Honestly, this is an ensemble and the biggest I have done so far. It’s the biggest ensemble that people will get to see on screen in a long time. Also, I believe, everyone should root for Abhishek Varman’s hard work and dedication. And I’m not saying this because he is the director. I’ve never worked with such an obsessive filmmaker, who wants to be involved in every aspect of the movie. Even if a picture or a line about it is being released, he wants to be involved. That’s the level of obsession Abhishek has as far as this film is concerned. Usually, when my movies release, I am the most obsessed and I can go to any lengths for it, but I must say Abhishek beats me. 

He (Abhi) is like a tigress guarding her cub. He has put everything on the line for Kalank. There are so many things that have gone on in Abhishek’s life and there is so much he is going through. But he won’t be happy if I say anything about it. Trust me, he’s gone through hell and made this film. But his focus hasn’t faltered even for a second. He is my friend and I love him. Kalank is his baby and I’m protective about it.

Varun Dhawan in a still from Kalank

Abhi and you were assistant directors at a point. Did your friendship help your working equation?

I think I was the only one who made him laugh on the set. I would do certain things and he would burst out laughing, ‘Why are you doing this, Varun? Don’t disturb me.’ I know him as a friend. When he was shooting the Heera Mandi portions with someone else, there was the Munshi quarter where I would go in for my shots and lie down on one of the cots. He would say, ‘What are you doing? I’m making a film here.’ And I would tell him, “You direct, I’m not disturbing you. I just feel like lying down here and seeing what you’re doing.” During the 35 days we shot there, I’ve pretty much stayed on the set. He’s the only director who would leave the set at 2 am and be back at 6 am. So, I would tell myself, ‘The director is giving so much to the film, even I want to be around. Aur yeh dost bhi hai.’ I think he shouted at me the most! 

Shouted the most at you in yaari-dosti?

I don’t know about that. I’m a little dheeth (stubborn, thick-skinned) also. If I have a certain take on the scene, I like to perform it that way. Alia and Abhishek would gang up against me. They have worked together before on 2 States, so they have a certain wavelength. He really gets what he wants from her. I have the habit of doing every scene ulta. He has retained certain things that I did. But there are many things that he has removed. There would be a little sparring going on between us.

You got appreciation for October and Sui Dhaaga: Made In India. But those were films that weren’t too mainstream. Did you have a reason for doing them?

Those films were made for a reason and the fact that you are talking about them today makes me happy. October just struck a chord. When Shoojit (Sircar) sir spoke about it, it hit something in my heart. I felt I was becoming selfish as a human being. After two back-to-back big hits (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2), I was becoming something I wasn’t. When I heard October, I wanted to be like Dan and the only way I could be like him was to play him. I learnt a lot. As for Sui Dhaaga, it was a fun script. My character is a family man. The film explored the father-son relationship, too. Getting to team up with Aditya Chopra sir, who was super-passionate about it, was also a draw. In fact, I keep asking Maneesh (filmmaker Maneesh Sharma) when is it releasing in China. The film did pretty much the business I expected it to do. All in all, I’m quite happy with it. Even now, when it comes on satellite television, people talk about how they liked the film.

Do you ever feel that you’re a commercial actor and you have to prove your acting chops with subjects like October and Sui Dhaaga? Or you can show that in films like Kalank, too?

That opportunity is there 100 per cent in Kalank, too. But actors have to work equally hard, whether the film is commercial, middle-of-the-road or just plain art. Even when it comes to a Street Dancer, I need to pour everything I have within me into it. People may believe it or choose to ignore it but jab aapko ek chhota sa emotion milta hai aur uske saath khelna padta hai, toh ek actor hi khel sakta hai. If you don’t know acting, then you’ll fall flat on your face. Every scene in a film must hold. I’m acting to be a good dancer among great dancers. I’m acting to dance as well as Prabhudheva. Actually, I’m not in his league. Obviously, he is better than me. But if I can make people believe that I can give him a takkar, then that’s acting. There is a lot of hard work and talent in it, but there’s also performance in it to make people believe that.