I am selfish as an actor- Varun Dhawan

By Jyothi Venkatesh

How would you describe your latest film Sai Dhaaga Made in India?

The film is about finding love and respect through self-reliance and is a special salute to the inherent entrepreneurial spirit that the youth of India and our local artisans have.

What is your role in the film Sai Dhaaga ?

I play a happy go lucky small-town tailor called Mauji who does not know his hidden talent. He is on a journey to become an entrepreneur. He is incomplete without his wife Mamta, played by Anushka as she is actually his real coach in life. I also made it a point to learn the dialogue in the dialect that I had to mouth for my character.

How did you get into the skin of your character?

Producer Maneesh and director Sharat told me I need to get into the character, especially because I'm the weakest link. As an actor, I like to get challenged to become someone else on screen and hence I learned the art of tailoring from Yash Raj Film' in-house tailor - Noor Bhai for over two and a half months to get into the skin of my character for my role. I think the first thing you need to learn is to get the thread through the needle

What intrigued you by the tag line Made in India?

I was intrigued why people say Made in China and never Made in India. As a child, I have seen family films in Chandan and Gaiety-Galaxy and was keen on doing a family film like Sai Dhaaga

Is it true that Anushka Sharma fell of the cycle when you rode with her?

I observed that people used to ride their bicycles with their wives. I practiced cycling with Anushka but she fell of once or twice from the cycle that I was riding but she was sweet enough to take it sportingly.

In what way did acting in Sai Dhaaga help you as a person and actor?

The film Sui Dhaaga is a very realistic film and very special for me and Anushka. I don’t think I can describe the feeling in words. It’s a sense of pride and sense of what you feel to be an Indian. Patriotism doesn’t always need to be said, it needs to be felt. What it feels to be an Indian, we are never able to tell that to people.

What did you learn from Anushka after working with her for the first time in your career?

You will get shock wed to see a different avatar of Anushka Sharma in Sui Dhaaga as Maya. I confess that I am very selfish as an actor and I learnt a lot just by observing her on the sets as a co-actor. I think that she is a very good and hardworking actor who is polished to the core. I used to make it a point to discuss every scene with her to know how approach ought to be for my scene.

Are you following in the footsteps of Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, to aid society through your films?

Akshay Sir and Aamir Sir are my seniors in the profession and they do their level best to be of help to the society. I do not know when my turn will come to help the society selflessly through my films as an actor.

How would you rate Rajkummar Rao today?

I had seen Rajkummar Rao in Gangs of Wasseypur and felt that he has this junoon for acting. I think that Rajkummar is a true Made in India success story because he does not get scared to do any kind of film. As Stree was also shot in Chanderi where I shot for Sui Dhaaga , I had dined with Rajkummar one evening in Chanderi.

When I set out to do films which are different, some producers try to scare me off but I do not let myself be scared or else I’d not have been a part of a film like Badlapur or for that matter October.

Don’t you think in terms of competition from actors like Rajkummar Rao or Ayushmann Khurana?

In the beginning of my career, maybe I was thinking of competition but from my second film, I think I was firmly set on my own track because I have worked in different films with different directors. Today, as an actor, I want to work on my own terms and conditions with different directors. This was a conscious decision on my part as an actor.

Can you evaluate your growth over the years as an actor from the time you made your debut with Student of the Year till Sai Dhaaga ?

A kind of tehrau has now set in me as an ac tor. When I compare myself now with what I was as an actor when I was doing Student of The Year, I shudder because Sidharth Malhotra was the best in the film, not I or Alia because frankly I feel that we did not act at all. But now after having done nearly 10 films, I have started understand ding the characters that I am asked to portray. I have also started modulating the dialogues for my characters.

Tell me about you and your dad David decidig to revive his popular No 1 series of films like Hero No1, Biwi No 1!

Yes. My dad is working on the script for a film which will revive his No 1 series. I have never seen my dad enjoying as he has always been working round the clock as a director 24/7. He has never taken a break even once.

You have acted in nearly a dozen films in a span of eight years since Student of The Year. Which are your five best films?

Frankly I do not like my work in any film that I have done till date because I feel that I could have done a better job in it, but the only exception to the rule is my performance in Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya.

What next, after Sui Dhaaga Made in India?

I am working in Karan Johar’s next film Kalank. It is a very big budgeted period film made by Karan Johar. I am very close to Karan, who is like a family member to me.

To what extent is money important to you?

I am happy with whatever I am being paid for my acting but I do not want to get money for everything that I do in life. I want to connect with my fans the way Salman Khan Sir, Shah Rukh Khan Sir and Amitji do and give happiness to everyone around me because only then will I be able to get a good night’s sleep.If you are successful as an actor, you will get fame, money etc and also get the power to do the kind of films that you crave to do, I do not think I would have been able to be a part of a film like October if only I did not churn out hit in a row.

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