Varun Dhawan with Anupam Kher

The Dhawans — Varun and dad David — talk about their special bond and their love for films with family friend Anupam Kher (Colors at 8pm). A t2 sneak peek.

Anupam Kher: When did you first discover the acting bug?

Varun Dhawan: When my cousin sister was getting married in Delhi, they were playing a song from my dad’s film itself… Main toh raste se ja raha tha (Coolie No. 1). Instinctively, I started dancing, without a care in the world about who’s watching. I was having fun knowing that I was entertaining everyone. I was really young back then.

Anupam: Which one of your father’s films is your favourite?

Varun: Swarg (starring Rajesh Khanna and Govinda), among the emotional movies. Deewana Mastana (Govinda-Anil Kapoor-Juhi Chawla) among the comic movies.

Anupam: I remember one incident in Bangkok during the shooting of Main Tera Hero where Varun had saved your life, David.

David Dhawan: I had already met with an accident and had also fallen ill. Instead of taking my medicine after food, I had the medicine on an empty stomach. I told Varun: ‘I’m going!’

Varun: I did not know what to think. I told Papa to stop talking rubbish. That was when my father passed out and there was pin-drop silence. Everyone believed that he had passed away. In spite of my inner voice urging me to do something, I could not move. A lot of weird things began flashing through my mind. Instinctively, I put my finger in his mouth and tried to make him vomit. I do not know why I did this. I guess it was a father-son connection.

Anupam: How did that incident change your life?

Varun: When I say that I love someone now, I genuinely mean it or I don’t say it. I always say it to my mom (Lali). But as men, we don’t really hold our fathers and say that. After that incident, I can say I love him in front of the whole world.

Anupam: What is your relationship like with your brother Rohit?

Varun: Even though I do give a lot of credit to my parents for who I am, I cannot take credit away from my brother either. I remember this one particular incident when my deadline to get home was 1.30am. I had not touched alcohol that night. I was really young and two 35-year-old women in my building called me up to their place. I got so engrossed in the party that I did not realise it was 4am. Someone told me that my brother was at the door at 4 in the morning. I opened the door and my brother slapped me — at least six times on the way back home!

Anupam: Your dad told you never to behave like a star…

Varun: But I never behave like a star to begin with! I have had food in Shiv Sagar (a popular Mumbai eatery), travelled in autos.... I like to behave like a common man. Everyone told me to get the car out but I used to refuse because I felt weird about it.

Anupam: David, what was your ‘kuch bhi ho sakta hai’ moment?

David: Varun actor bana toh kuch bhi ho sakta hai! I did not know he was interested in acting. He went to Nottingham to study business administration and came back. All of a sudden, one day, Karan Johar came to the house and said: ‘You want to act in my film?’ Then pictures were clicked and he became an actor!

Varun: I believe you need to take matters into your own hands and unless you do that, nothing will move for you.

Anupam: What was your ‘kuch bhi ho sakta hai’ moment, Varun?

Varun: I remember I had gone for the audition of a soft drink ad when I was really young. I was accompanying my friend and Prahlad Kakkar was shooting the ad. I was sitting with my friend and smiling and watching. My friend’s sister, who was taking the auditions, came and told me to come up and audition if I only knew to laugh and smile! Next thing I knew I was selected for the ad!