I’m a tapori in real life, says Varun Dhawan

He may have played a criminal on the loose in Badlapur or packed some punches in Dishoom, but Varun Dhawan largely remains a chocolate boy on screen. For his next stint however, the actor will stay true to his image — albeit with a twist. Playing a village boy this time around, the actor talks about his new look, the shift in the idea of stardom and more...

You seem to have worked a lot on your diction for Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya. How easy or difficult was it to adapt to the style of a small town boy?
My director was my tutor on the sets. We did a lot of voice exercises for this role. It was difficult initially to get the dialect and accent right, but once I did, the humour and drama went to a different level altogether.

Do you feel that an actor is as good as his last film?
A hundred per cent — I think that’s the way the audience sees it. But I don’t think one should judge actors only by their successes and failures. You have to look at the longevity of their career and their body of work. Any actor can surprise you any time.

Who is your biggest critic?
My mom is my biggest critic. She doesn’t get impressed too easily with what I do on screen. I have to do a lot to make her feel it’s not Varun, it is a character. I am letting her discover my craft naturally.

As an actor, are you happy with the kind of roles being offered to you?
Definitely. I am in a very happy space as an actor. I want to grow and explore more of course, but the type of reaction that I get from the press and people is largely very positive.

Thanks to social media, stars are not as elusive as they used to be. Do you think the conventional idea of a star is fading?
Stardom (as we knew it) is indeed fading away. Social media is eroding the mystery about an actor. You get to know so much about them in a click. Things are out so soon because news these days travels at the speed of light! You are not able to maintain a mystery behind how you create or do something. If you ask me, I miss the old set-up. I think I’d prefer that.

Coming back to your film, you think Badrinath... will be part of the 100 crore club?
I don’t think I can comment on that. I feel that’s a wrong way of gauging a film. It’s important to know where the money is coming from, how much is coming from the different parts of the county — say Mumbai, Delhi and other parts. With Badri..., the best part is that it can appeal to people from the heartlands of the country. I have done more massy films but with Badri... it’s mass meets class.

Since you and Alia share such a friendly relationship; how difficult does it get for both of you to work on an emotional scene?
It gets difficult at times. One of the most difficult scenes was when I had to manhandle Alia. I was scared while doing that because I didn’t want to hurt her. I did end up hurting her I think. I had to do it. It was internally a difficult scene for me to do.

How excited are you about Judwaa 2?
I am super excited to play a tapori in the film. I am pretty much a tapori in real life too. There are two facets in this film — one is Prem and the other one is Raja. A lot of work is going on and a major part of the shooting is left and will be shot in London.