In this freewheeling interview at the Jaagran Festival press meet, VARUN DHAWAN opens up his heart to JYOTHI VENKATESH and says that he was rejected when he auditioned for the film in Dhobi Ghaat.
What made you take up the offer to be a part of Judwaa?
I’d be a fool to say No when the offer came to me, literally on a silver platter. Besides the fact that it has been directed by my father, the film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and I get to play a double role in it.
What is your role or roles in Judwaa 2?
I feature in dual roles in the film, which is a sequel to Salman Khan’s 1997 cult comedy Judwaa. Just like Salman Khan, I also play the role of estranged brothers Prem (the naive one) and Raja (the tapori version). I think Raja resembles my 16-year-old version IRL.
Is it true that you were a crazy fan of Jim Morrison?
When I was 16 years old I had grown my hair out because I was obsessed with Jim Morrison. In Judwaa 2 I got a chance to bring back that Varun. I am a big fan of Jim Morrison, the celebrated singer songwriter of American rock band The Doors. I am carrying on with the typical signature Varun Dhawan-style.
What is your take on stardom?
I think that stardom is a person’s ability to connect with his millions of fans all over the world with his performance at the box office. Stardom is the power of healing people. It is not that only an actor can become a star. Even my father was a star who had an insane box office record with film after film of his clicking like nobody’s business. He used to tell me that it is just because of the love of people that he was a hit director.
Salman Khan is a star today.
Salman Khan is a star today but then you cannot dispute the fact that even 20 years ago when his Judwa was released he was a star. Today he is a bigger star because there are far more avenues for a star to connect today unlike say 20 years ago.
What is the best advice that Salman Khan has given you?
Salman always used to tell me that if I choose a wrong film as an actor, the audience will not at all hesitate to throw me out and hence I should exercise a lot of caution whenever I sign a film.
Did your dad see the making of a star in you when you set out to act initially?
Frankly speaking, my dad used to feel that I was an intensely dramatic actor like Ajay Devgn initially especially when I started learning acting under the tutelage of Barry John. It was only while I was learning acting with Barry John Sir that I realized how talented actors are.
How crazy were you of movies when you were a child?
As a teenager, I used to make it a point only to watch the films which boasted of big stars. I have seen the first day first show of Kaho Na Pyar Hai at Chandan which used to be my hideout on every Friday when I used to bunk my classes and watch films. I have been an avid fan of stars like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, Chichi bhaiya and Sanjay Dutt.
When did you get the urge to act for the first time?
Madhuri Dixit used to test me abroad in the bus in which the actors were going to location and give me marks. At the age of 8, I had confessed to Madhuri Dixit that I wanted to be an actor, but it was only after I had seen American Psycho when I was just 16 that I started acting and calling myself an actor. You have to feel that you are an actor if you want to be an actor.
You have acted so far in not one or two but eight films and all of them have been hits though none of them won any critical acclamation. What is your view on film critics and criticism?
Undoubtedly the job of a film critic today is very tough. I take criticism about my work on a positive note. If I like it when a critic states that II am good in a particular scene, I should be broad minded enough to stomach criticism too to improve myself as an actor. In general people love to see a hero fall flat on his face. It is sad but a hero fails only because of the choice of wrong films. Recently I worked for an ad and I was amazed when a 26 year old young girl who was the AD on the sets taught me a lot.
How easy is it to become a star?
To become a star is not easy at all. In fact it is damn tough. Rajesh Khanna was a super star. Prabhaas, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are still super stars today. Today the content has become the star. Look at Bareilly Ki Barfi. The film which was made on a small budget has become a sleeper hit. Even my dad said after watching the film that he now wants to make a film with Rajkummar Rao.
You have mentioned only the names of males. Who do you think are the stars among the female actors today?
Besides my co-stars in Judwa 2- Jackeline Fernandez and Taapsi Pannu, Bhumi is a star on her right today as she has given two back to back big hits with Toilet Ek Prem Katha and Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan after having made her debut with Dum Lagake Haisha which also was a big hit. Bhumi has arrived in a big way.
What is important for a star?
Today a star should respect each person’s time. You have to get love from your family first and the film industry next, if you want to survive as a star today.
What scares you?
What scares me is the fact that films are no longer opening to great numbers at the box office. Mumbai has not put up much in numbers as compared to Delhi at the box office in recent times. If you are a star, it is imperative that your film runs all over the country and not just in a few pockets. Today it is unfortunate that social media hits just do not translate at the box office.
You were rejected when you went for auditions for films like Life of Pie and Dhobi Ghaat!
Yes. I did audition for those films but I was not selected for the parts. I even had auditioned for a couple of TV shows. I failed a lot of auditions. It was an irony but later on when I became an AD on the sets of Karan Malhotra’s film My Name Is Khan, I had to take auditions of some newcomers and I could realize their plight as I had undergone similar auditions.
Unlike other star sons who were launched by their dad, you were launched by Karan Johar in Student of the Year. Why didn’t you wait for your dad to launch you?
My dad has launched till date only one actress-Taapse Pannu. He did not even launch me. It was my brother Rohit who advised me to try for a break from outside and so I started auditioning for films without mentioning the fact that I happen to be the son of David Dhawan.
You mean to say that even Karan Johar did not know that you are David Dhawan’s son?
Yes. Karan did not know me at all, even socially. I went to Dharma Productions in shabby clothes and long hair and Karan asked me to meet him after cutting off my hair and at the last minute before the crew flew to USA, I managed to get a job as an AD in My Name Is Khan.
What is your mantra as an actor?
First of all see what a director wants to say though his film and whether then subject is unique. I try my level best not to repeat myself in any film which I do.
How have you managed to keep yourself humble even though you have churned out not just one or two but eight big hits till today?
It is my family which has kept me grounded. I live with my parents though I have my own flat in the same building where my parents stay.
What kind of films do you want to act in?
All actors want to act only in hit films. I want to actor in films which do not end up boring the audiences because the least thing I want is the audience calling me a boring actor. I believe in gelling great things in an interesting way though films as an actor.
Do you think that the definition of a super star has changed over the years?
Definitely the definition of the super star ahs changed over the years today because of the emergence of the Netflix and other platforms. The audience too is very fickle these days whether you like it or not and we have to be on top of the game. I am greedy today for good content as an actor. I hope I will survive even in 2027 and do good films.
What do you have to say about your super stardom?
I still feel that I have a very long way to go though I have been part fo eight successful films in Hindi, because Bahu Bali has showed us that Prabhas is truly the super star of the country. His Telugu film has done wonders at the box office all over the country. It is sad that our films do not work in the South. I pray that Judwaa 2 does well in not only Mumbai and Delhi but also in Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka because they are also parts of India.
What next, after Judwaa 2?
I am working in Maneesh Sharma’s film Sui Dhaaga, produced by Yashraj Films and directed by Sharad Kataria. From Gandhiji to Modiji, our leaders have always endorsed the mantra of Made in India. With Sui Dhaaga, I am proud to take their message to millions of movie lovers in a way that is entertaining and relevant. I really liked the script that Sharat has written and I am happy that I am teaming up with YRF on this one. Anushka and I are pairing up for the first time
What about your role in Shoojit Sarkar’s film?
Titled October, Shoojit has told me that the film is “not a love story but his take on love”. It’s again an out-of-the-box kind of story. Shoojit started working on this film’s idea, which came from a small newspaper clipping, right before Piku (2015). It is “a very unusual, unconventional kind of a story” in the “slice-of-life and romance space”. Shoojit has asked me to go off social media, because he feels that it will mess me up.
