Varun Dhawan: Early on, I dropped the façade. I am what you see

Charming and full of energy, Varun Dhawan brings his infectious sense of humour to the latest episode of the Bombay Times Lounge driven by Jeep. But beyond the laughs, the actor — whose latest release, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, directed by David Dhawan, hit theatres on Friday — reveals a more reflective side as he opens up about the dangers of chasing perceptions, the pressures of fame, and why staying true to yourself matters more than ever. A conversation that’s equal parts entertaining and insightful — much like Varun himself. Watch the full episode on the Bombay Times YouTube channel.

Your father, David Dhawan, created a certain grammar of mainstream Hindi entertainment in the 90s. But today’s audiences consume content, including comedy differently. When you are making a comedy like Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, how do you stay true to the heart and soul of those classic entertainers?



My dad always told us, ‘I never went in to make comedy films. Main entertainer bana raha tha. Main logon ko entertain karna chahta tha. Usme romance tha, emotion tha, drama bhi tha, thoda sa action bhi tha. Aur uss mein logon ko hasaa bhi raha tha. But unn emotions ke bagair, those films would not be what they were. People and maybe critics back then, labelled them as comedy, but actually they were wholesome entertainers.

Recently, at the David Dhawan Film Festival, where they showcased Aankhen, so many of us sat together and watched the film on the big screen — it was still so entertaining and magical. The comedy is not forced, it’s not gaggy... ki yaar, yeh trend mein hai, bolenge toh yeh chalega. It’s very close to real things that happen around us. I believe comedy is basically about capturing the nuances of real life and maybe magnifying them a little bit.

You did Main Tera Hero (2014) after your debut Student of the Year (2012). I believe during the initial years of your career, you were advised not to do a comedy & even told that it was a wrong choice.

Yes, I was told by a very popular director back then that, ‘I wanted to cast you in a film, but I feel the kind of cinema you’re doing, you can only do that. But you should not do such cinema.’

And here we are…

Yes!

Your father recently said that Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai could be his last film as a director. Knowing that, did the journey feel more emotional for you — not just as an actor, but as a son who has grown up watching him live and breathe cinema?

At one point, we thought that he wouldn’t direct a film again because his health was down. So, Rohit (brother), my mom and I, felt he should not direct a film. He was going through a very low phase, and I remember Anil Kapoor, telling me, ‘You have to let your father get back on the sets. He has spent more time on the set than he has spent at home. His home is the set and behind the camera. We are built differently, Varun. Humne bahut kaam kiya hai, so unko khushi agar usme mil rahi hai, let him do it and as a son support him.’ Anil uncle has a similar work ethic, so I understood what he said and that made me think about it a lot. Rohit was a little bit more hesitant to let him direct again, but we knew we had to support him.

Some actors come into the industry and then along the way they figure out the dynamics of this place. You’re someone who’s grown up within this machinery. Do you think you were far more prepared to embrace fame, success and failure because you’ve seen it from close quarters?

I think no one comes prepared to deal with the ups and downs in their life. I’ve had my share of ups and downs and my moments of weakness. But what I have learnt is — you have to move on and take the next step. You can dwell over it and feel bad for yourself. You can play victim, but how long will you play victim? This is something that my dad always tells me — move on, take the next step, you have to take the next step. There’s no point sitting and blaming people for your sorrows and think…ki I’m here because usne mere saath yeh kiya, ya yeh hua mere saath. Arre bhai, tumhari bhi thodi galti toh hogi na? So, introspect, take the learnings and move on. Blaming anyone is not going to get you anywhere.

In an earlier conversation with us, you had spoken about how much of our life is spent chasing perceptions — of success, relevance, being number one. But there comes a point when that chase can feel exhausting. Have you reached a stage where you’re more at peace with yourself than with how you’re perceived?

What is number one? It means you’re better than someone. There’s always going to be someone better than you. Someone will come along and something will change. My idea is to just do my work in the best way possible and enjoy the journey. There was a time when we were all being brought up in that very individualistic mindset. I myself have moved away from it a little bit. I was running too fast and sometimes when you do that, you forget which direction you are running in.

What do you think is the most dangerous thing about fame?

It’s addictive.

There’s a pressure that comes with being an actor and a star that people often overlook. What’s the part of stardom that the audience doesn’t see?

The lonely moments that you spend with yourself. When you’re all alone in your van, when you’re all alone in your house — those are the lonely moments. Actors’ lives are very lonely, and this is something which I always discuss. I would say most actors are lonely.

That’s interesting because from the outside, an actor’s life seems anything but lonely. You’re constantly surrounded by people. Is there a danger of losing yourself in the image that others have of you?

Luckily, from the beginning, I kind of dropped the façade. I am what you see. I can’t keep pretending, because I feel my mental health will go for a toss and I will burst somewhere. I mean, if you see my earlier interviews, I was even more moohfat. Abhi thoda sa conscious ho rahe hain log because of social media and all that. But kya hi hone wala hai? Kya hi kar denge? Cancel kar denge? After a point, you’ve just got to be yourself, whether it’s good or bad — at least you’re yourself. Otherwise after some time, you won’t even know who you are.

As someone who understands the economics of cinema as much as the craft, in today’s landscape, what do you think is tougher — making a film or bringing people to buy a ticket and come to the theatre?

I feel that bringing people to come and buy the ticket is tough today. You can make a good film, and many good films are being made, but not all of them make money. It’s not like we are not making good films. I saw Superboys of Malegaon aur mujhe bahut acchi lagi. I loved Laapataa Ladies and 12th Fail; the movie was also a hit, but it could have made even more money given that it was such a good film. Then there is a film like Dhurandhar, which is an entertaining film, it has stars and everything comes together and it does well. So, it’s possible, but not easy. It was never easy.

Driven by: Jeep

Location courtesy: Luuma House

Watch the Bombay Times Lounge episode with Varun Dhawan on the Bombay Times YouTube channel