Even though Varun Dhawan is a mainstream Bollywood actor, he says that he has an affinity towards independent art forms. And that’s what has led him to come on board as the brand ambassador of the hip-hop dance competition Breezer Vivid Shuffle for the third time. “My films and brand endorsements are all in the commercial space and I like the underground vibe of things,” he points out, adding, “The scene has become so massive in India. There are many artistes like Naezy, MC Altaf and DIVINE who are doing so well right now. And they are doing it without the help of Bollywood, which is impressive. Also, hip-hop is the voice of the voiceless, so, there’s that appeal.” The actor is also all set to be seen in Remo D’Souza’s Street Dancer 3, which is about hip-hop dance. “It’s about dancing to express, not impress,” says Varun.
SUPPORTING INDIE ART
Bollywood’s recent brush with the genre was Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy starring Ranveer Singh. Varun admits that he hasn’t seen the movie yet and plans to do it as soon as he can. “It’s fabulous that Ranveer has done such a powerful film, though,” he states, “Alia (Bhatt) has been asking me to watch it for such a long time. I’ve heard she’s good in the movie, too.” What the Kalank actor also finds commendable is all the things Ranveer is doing to support the scene with his label InkInc and is himself proud of being associated with Shuffle.
THE DANCE MOVIE EXPERIENCE
Varun is currently filming for Street Dancer 3. He will be seen alongside Shraddha Kapoor. The duo had earlier shared screen space in ABCD 2 (2015). Quiz him about his prep for the upcoming dance flick and he tells us, “It’s tiring and I’m almost getting my a** kicked every day. But it’s exciting because this time we have newer styles of dancing. So, while Ranveer and Ayushmann Khurrana are associated with the music part in the industry, I’m more involved with the dancing.” And what is it like teaming up with Shraddha again? “She is a childhood friend and such a positive person that it’s amazing to be on the sets with her. I love working with her,” he smiles.
Varun Dhawan (left) and Shraddha Kapoor
A MIXED BAG OF MOVIES
The actor has had an interesting filmography so far — such as revenge drama Badlapur (2015), romantic outing Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), actioner Dishoom (2016), comedy Judwaa 2 (2017) and October (2018), which was kind of in an alternative space. Varun says about the mixed-bag projects, “The audience doesn’t want to see you doing the usual stuff, so you’ve got to keep doing different things. They want to see real stories and connect with characters. But, I go with my instinct when I have to choose a script.”
HITS AND MISSES
As far as viewer reaction goes, the actor is mindful that some of his films haven’t received the desired response — for instance, October and Kalank. “It’s obviously disheartening and it takes a toll on you because you’ve worked hard on the projects,” says he. “October got a lot of love, something I am happy about, but the audience didn’t like Kalank, which is why it didn’t do well. And that’s how it should be. The audience gives the right verdict and nothing else matters. But, at the end of the day, you’ve got to realise what went wrong and come back stronger. That’s why I’m excited about Street Dancer 3D,” he points out.
NO WEDDING BELLS YET
As a parting shot, we ask Varun if he is getting married to Natasha Dalal as rumours have been suggesting. He shrugs his shoulders. “I’m not. Do you see a ring?” he asks showing us his hands and laughing.
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