In this interview with Jyothi Venkatesh for the feature LIVING LEGENDS, David Dhawan says that what he really likes about his son Varun is that though he is an unpredictable boy who is naughty all the time, his top priority is his work, more than even him. “He wants to do good work and is focused. In spite of delivering eight hit films back to back like Main Tera Hero, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya, Badlapur, Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya etc, he is feeling all the time insecure and wants to do his best by putting 100%. Though he does ask me about my opinion about any script which he is offered, the ultimate decision whether to do a film or not is only his”.
On what after Judwaa 2 as a director
I am chilling out and enjoying myself now. After a month or two, I intend looking at scripts and start directing a film. I do not think I am cut out to be a producer though my son Rohit Dhawan is a director on his own right and Varun sells on his own as a star, because I am of the opinion that production is a thankless job. I just want to give my creativity to a producer and take money. I am the same old David Dhawan who was earning just Rs 22 per day as a temporary staff when I used to edit shows like Laddoosingh Taxiwala starring Paintal, Yeh Hai Asha and Magic Lamp with Doordarshan. I am not on sale even today. I used to wait for the 4 Ltd BEST bus and I would say that I have gone though the grind.
On doing 45 films as a director
It is 41 years since I had passed out from the Film & TV Institute of Pune in 1976. Initially I was directing for almost ten years and later switched over to direction with Taaqatwar in 1987. I have directed 45 films in 27 years till date including Chasme Buddoor. My journey has been good. I have realized that in this industry, if your films run, you are needed and you also get izzat. Many a time I have been pushed against the wall but I have learnt the art of surviving.
On Cinema today
I find the industry thoroughly professional now though it was humane earlier and al of us used to believe a lot in relationship. I shudder to think that at times it has even become out and out cut throated nowadays and no open bothers about the others seriously though all of us rallied with one another in times of need earlier. The corporate have come in a big way. It is good as well as bad. Good because they have a bigger and better hold over the multiplexes unlike individual producers especially since they do not give a new director even a single show and bad because they treat films as subzi.Though I am a director as well as an editor, I think I am one up as an editor over myself as a director. It is a tool that I have mastered over the years. I bet no one can say that my film is loose though it may be good or bad or even worse. I am a better editor than a director. I bet I can cut a film and the editor will not even know. I can change the shape of a film on the editing table.I would say that it is shameful that today the directors do not get paid as much as the stars are though they are supposed to be the captains of the ship. You just cannot help it because stars are stars. Look at the Khans. Though they are above 50, they still rule today. It is a vicious circle and hence it is no wonder that when stars demand high amounts as their remuneration, new comers come to the fore. Like my son Varun, Sidharth Malhotra and Allia Bhatt were introduced by Karan Johar.
On comedies scoring today
Comedies sell in a big way today. Take any film today. It is a comedy. There was a time when the so called critics used to scoff at the comedies which I used to make and call them C grade. Today Rajkumar Hirani’s films are sliced with the comedy tadka. In my time, it was drama ka daur though now comedy too is veered towards realism. My film Judwaa 2 , like its prequel Judwa is an out and out hilarious comedy
On being an Eklavya to Manmohan Desai
Manji was my school of learning. I was like an Eklavya to him. He has always inspired me. I was thrilled when in his lifetime when he came to me to sign me to direct a film for him. I am sad that I couldn’t direct Deewana Mastana when he was alive.Though I was inspired a lot by the craft of Vijay Anand and K. Asif, today I like Raju Hirani’s story telling in 3 Idiots, Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai more than P.K. I was inspired a lot by Raj Kapoor’s grandeur and visual treat and Hrishida’s slice of life films. People tell me that my scenes are being copied by other filmmakers. I do not feel bad. It is good to know that your work is being respected.
On how tough making films has become
Today making films is tough money-wise as the cost of P&A has become very prohibitive. You need 15 to 20 cr to just make a big budget film. The losses have become high but the corporate do not talk about it. Star system is ruling and it is easy to make a film but quite tough to release it. Earlier a producer used to get a minimum of 35% of the budget of his film by way of sale of satellite rights but now it has dried up. Today unless and until an actor comes forward to reduce his price, it is not only mushqil but also namumkin to make a film.I knew Chasme Buddoor could have back fired but it proved to be a sleeper hit. Viacom 18 had the rights and asked me if I could work on the script. It took me 8 months.I made a lot of changes to make it contemporary with a different climax altogether. My life has always been like that of Hrithik Roshan in Lakshya. I was one of the boys who used to enjoy glamour and be thrilled when Anil Dhawan’s heroines became friendly with me on his sets. In went to FTII to become an actor but chickened when I saw other actors. Roshan Tanjeja asked me to chose an alternate and though I did not at all know what editing was, I gave it a try as I was zapped by the way Mohinder Batra used to edit his films. When once I saw Ghatak’s Megha Dhake Tara at the screening at the Institute, my eyes became wet and I decided to take up direction because the film made such a great impact on me.
