David Dhawan Birthday Speical: I don't want to work with a producer who can't stand shoulder to shoulder with me

On 15th August, only six years had passed since the country became independent, that is, it was the year 1951 when a new guest arrived in a Punjabi family settled in Agartala, Tripura. It was named - Rajinder Dhawan.

The Dhawan family shifted to Kanpur with their two children, Anil and Rajendra Dhawan, and here this little Rajinder Dhawan was called 'David' by a Jewish aunt living in the neighborhood. Why so? Because the name of that Jewish woman's son was David who was a very good friend of Rajendra. Seeing the friendship between these two, the aunt used to consider both of them as her sons and used to call both of them by the name of David many times. Instead of Rajindra, the name David suited the boy so much that everyone in the family started calling him David and when he grew up, he started being called David Dhawan. But David did not get the title of King of Comedy without any reason. He studied at Christchurch, a famous college in Kanpur, but his eyes were always on Mumbai. There was a valid reason for this too. His brother Anil Dhawan had become a well-known name in films, so whenever David got a chance, he used to go to Mumbai. Even if he got leave for five days, his destination was Mumbai only. David was probably meant for the film line. When his family members came to know about this, he got his admission done in the Film and Television Institute of India.

Here David also went there with the idea of becoming an actor like his brother, but when he saw his companions acting, he realized that acting could prove to be a crooked kheer for him. But what to do? I had only one thought in my mind that by any means I have to enter the film line. When David was filming Institute's form, he also saw an option for editing and he quickly chose to be an editor instead of an actor. Famous writer Rumi Jaffrey, bindaas actor Satish Shah and television's most comic actor Rakesh Bedi were his classmates in this institute. David's classes used to start at seven in the morning and actors had to join the classes by nine. But David used to wake up early in the morning and start singing loudly in 'Raag Jhinjhod' if Satish Shah is to be believed. Meaning, he used to sing anything, opening his voice in such a way that his voice used to wake up even the sleeping students by shivering. Satish Shah jokingly says that "it used to work as an alarm for us too".

When all of them reached Mumbai after passing FTII, Rakesh Bedi along with David Dhawan also shifted to the same paying guest room. Once Rakesh Bedi had to go to audition for a film called 'Ehsaas'. He did not have any proper clothes. So he quietly took out David Dhawan's new T-shirt and left wearing it. Luckily the audition went well and he got the role. But at one place, while eating food, lentils fell on that T-shirt. Rakesh Bedi got scared, he silently put back that T-shirt without washing it. The next day when David opened the cupboard and put on that T-shirt, he got very angry seeing the pulse mark on it and lifted the entire PG on his head. Now Rakesh Bedi also slowly told the truth that he had gone wearing that T-shirt and pulses had fallen from him. What could David do now, a mistake had to be made. But when David shook Rakesh Bedi from top to bottom in anger, Rakesh started laughing and just like that two minutes of heated laughter and fun got postponed. David got a lot of editing work in the film industry. He edited not two or four but about 60 films in ten years. Sanjay Dutt's 'Naam', Jaan Ki Baazi, Mera Haq' etc. were such films that became good hits. But after ten years, David started feeling that he should also do direction. But who will trust the new director? However, in these ten years, David had become a well-known name in the film industry.

Support was started by Sanjay Dutt. The friendship between the two editors and actors bore fruit and under the production of Bholi Jagdish Raj, a film named Taaqtavar was released in which Govinda was cast as the second lead. Govinda tells that in those days he had some 50 films that he was doing. But still, he could not refuse David and they became friends on the sets of Taqtavar. This friendship went on in such a way that both of them have done 18 films together till now. However, Jaisi Dosti Chali Vaisi did not work and not only Taqtavar, David Dhawan's first three films released in 1989 – Aag Ka Gola, Taktar and Gola Barood proved to be utter flops. A rumor started in the industry that David can only do editing, direction is not his cup of tea. But in 1990, David released another film, reviving Rajesh Khanna, again pairing with Govinda. The film was Swarg. The film made both David Dhawan and Govinda a super-duper hit. From here on David did not look back. After this, be it Shola and Shabnam with Govinda or Bol Radha Bol with Rishi Kapoor, Yaarana with Madhuri Dixit, or Coolie Number One with Karisma, every year every film started becoming a super hit at the box office. Believe it or not, the pair of Govinda and David Dhawan ruled the film industry in the 90s. But with Govinda as well as with Anil Kapoor, David gave many super hit comedy films in which action drama comedy Loafer, Deewana Mastana, Andaz, Gharwali-Bahar Wali, etc. were tremendous hits. David Dhawan especially loved the period when his film Bol Radha Bol was below average for the first three days of its release, but from Monday the film gained such momentum that it proved to be a silver jubilee. On the other hand, if you ask today's David, now only the first three days are important in cinema. If the first weekend goes well, then everything is fine. But even today he makes his films after thinking for at least two weeks.

If David is to be believed, he started by watching Manmohan Desai's films. He also tries to give complete entertainment in his films like Manmohan Desai. Maybe that's why his debut film Taktavar somewhere looks similar to Amar Akbar Anthony. David has also been a fan of classic director Hrishikesh Mukherjee as well. Inspired by his films, he made Hero Number One with Govinda, which was partly inspired by the film Bawarchi.

David Dhawan has not only worked a lot with Pahlad Nihalani, Vashu Bhagnani also considers him a partner in his progress. Vashu Bhagnani says in open words that there cannot be any other director like David. David Dhawan also believes that if the producer has come to do business only to earn money, then I should not work with him. The producer should be the one who has an interest in films. The one who can put his dedication into the film. Not only David Dhawan the producer, every actor does not hesitate to take inputs from the stars. He believes that there should be good creativity, why would I have an ego? I just want to make good cinema. David Dhawan has not narrated the screenplay in front of any actor to date. He believes that if we take the film scene by scene, then the whole film becomes complete entertainment. David Dhawan considers Govinda a lot in this matter. It is said that “Govinda is that complete actor, even if you give him a dirty scene, he will remove the dirt from it while rehearsing and make a fresh scene”.

While Govinda and Sanjay Dutt jokingly say that David is so fond of eating and drinking that the shoot on the set starts later, his food starts earlier. David is so fond of food that he leaves all the work and focuses on food first. Not only this, in the days when he used to live and edit in a one-bedroom hall flat, Sanjay Dutt was also present with him while editing and his wife Karuna alias Lali used to bring him something to eat.

Remembering that period, David says that Govinda, Salman, and Sanju Baba, these people are like a family. I do not give any narration to them. I just explain the scene to them, and the rest they do themselves. Years later, when David Dhawan made Main Tera Hero for his son Varun, critics asked many times why are you trying to make Varun Govinda.

On this, David Dhawan said innocently, “Hey, I don't do this deliberately, what should I do, even Govinda has entered me after doing 18 films. Every scene comes out of the mind thinking of him. Although Varun also carries body language like Salman Khan. His physique is good. Even though David has done 18 films out of 44 in his career with Govinda, he has made 8-8 films with Salman and Sanjay Dutt, most of which have been successful. When David was asked if you have been in the industry for so long, have so much understanding of cinema, yet why don't you become a producer yourself, David replied “I can't have someone crying in front of me that I should get money. Not received, my payment was not done. Or my check is stuck, I didn't get this, I didn't get that, I am very happy with my work, I have respect. I like this module”

For the past four years, David Dhawan has been making films only with Varun Dhawan (Main Tera Hero, Judwaa 2, Coolie No. 1). But even today all the actors of Bollywood, especially Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, his friend Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, etc. love him very much and agree to work on one of his voices.

Regarding the script itself, in his third film, his son Varun Dhawan once mistakenly said "Script toh bata dijiye, kya hai" to which David retorted "Lo ab ise script chahiye, abe Maine kabhi Govinda, Sanjay Didn't tell Dutt the script, will I tell you?"

David Dhawan never received any major award in his 30-year-long career but when during a TV show little Varun Dhawan came in front of everyone and said “My father is the best, I am inspired by him and I want that every birth May I get this papa mummy” David's eyes became moist and he smiled and said “There is no bigger award in the world than this, I don't want any other award” From Mayapuri, King of Comedy to David Dhawan Happy Birthday Siddharth Arora 'Sahar'