Varun explores his Dhawan genes

Varun Dhawan talks about working with his father, the filmmaker David Dhawan, his co-stars and his dad’s brand of funny.

Varun Dhawan in Main Tera Hero. Courtesy Main Tera Hero

Varun Dhawan might be new in Bollywood – he made his debut in 2012 with Karan Johar’s Student of the Year – but the trailer of his second film, Main Tera Hero, has already received rave reviews.

What’s it like to have two leading ladies, Ileana D’Cruz and Nargis Fakhri?

Someone asked me why I smile so much and I told them to just look at this film’s poster: I have Ileana on one arm and Nargis on the other. What’s not to smile about? Ninety nine per cent of guys wish they could date two women, but only 1 per cent manage it. I’m that 1 per cent.

Seriously, though, it’s been wonderful working with them. We’ve managed to cut through the formal “we are co-actors” state of being and share the rapport of college friends. It’s a very real relationship and that’s why our on-screen chemistry is so good.

Tell us about your character, Senu.

Playing Senu was a lot of fun, as it was totally out of my comfort zone. Senu is an extremely crazy character, but there is a lot of innocence and vulnerability to him as well. They have not revealed that part of him in the trailers yet – his sensitivity and maturity.

You’re playing a college student again. Aren’t you worried about getting typecast?

But both the roles are very different. As Rohan in Student of the Year, I was the son of a billionaire who owns a private jet and drives a Ferrari. Senu doesn’t even have a motorbike. Rohan had plenty of girls chasing him, while Senu is the one who is chasing the girls. I wanted to play Senu because he is so different from Rohan: he’s a middle-class guy from a small town who does badly at college. Also, Rohan’s world was Karan Johar’s world and Senu’s world is David Dhawan’s. The two could not be more different.

Was it challenging, then, to mould yourself into the typical David Dhawan ‘hero’, a part that has been played so well by Salman Khan and Govinda in the past?

I had to enter this world with my own identity. I did not want to become a caricature of anyone else. Right from the start, dad (Dhawan) said I have to be myself and bring my own interpretation of Senu. My homework was watching a lot of comedies and studying the work of great comedians. When it came to acting out the role, I had to think on my feet. There was a lot of improvisation and I did a lot of stuff I did not ever imagine I would be able to do. It is definitely everything you expect a David Dhawan film to be.

• Main Tera Hero is out in UAE cinemas tomorrow