“Natasha is not my girlfriend”

Filmfare finds it’s all work and no play for the single birthday boy

How you are going to celebrate your birthday?

I’ll be starting the shoot of Sriram Raghwan’s film tomorrow. It’s a serious role something never attempted before. I may not be able to celebrate my birthday because I’m busy preparing for the film. I’ve been preparing since mid-April with regards my look and physicality as required in the film. I have to lose weight for the film.

Main Tera Hero (MTH), your second film (first was Student Of The Year) being is also a hit. You must be elated.

There was a lot of pressure on me because it was my first movie as the solo male lead. During the shoot and promotion there were talks whether I would be able to carry the film on my shoulders. Some said, ‘Varun is a kid. He doesn’t look like a man’. (Laughs)That’s why the dialogue from MTH suited me well, “Main dikhta hoon bahut sweet aur innocent swami type ka, lekin hoon bahut haraami type ka!" The film’s success was an answer to my detractors.

Was it difficult to deliver your father, David Dhawan’s, kind of comedy?

Yes, it was. You need tremendous energy for that. There’s physical and mental stress involved. So you have to be fit for it. I used to sleep by 9 pm and wake up at 7 am and practise yoga. You have to be fresh to enact dad’s kind of comedy.

 Are you influenced by Govinda who was a hit in your father’s films?

Yes, of course. Govinda’s my inspiration. He’s an inspiration of everyone. We all have grown up watching his films. But I didn’t copy him. Maybe, because dad directed MTH, people are prone to notice similarities. Govinda and Salman Khan both have done many films with dad.

Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and you began your career with SOTY. They’ve signed many films unlike you…

I believe when I do a film it should make a noise. It should be an event. People should know ‘Varun’s done this picture’. I don’t want to do 10 films from which only one works. I prefer doing two films a year. This year my second film will be Humpy Sharma Ki Dulhaniya. I’ve also signed ABCD2.

Do you feel competitive with your age group actors like Ranveer Singh and others?

I don’t view him as competition. My aim is to make a relationship with audience. I don’t work to impress the industry. I act to impress the audience. If someone from industry praises me, how is it going to benefit me? It’s only when the audience likes my film, will it work at the box-office. We work for the audience and not for the industry.

Okay coming to your personal life are you dating Natasha Dalal?

(Laughs) Who is Natasha? She’s my childhood friend. She’s not my girlfriend. We have spent a lot of time together but mostly in a group. Now that I am an actor, it doesn’t mean I should forget my childhood friends.

You once said that you wouldn’t marry an actress. Why?

If I date an actress, I wouldn’t be able to balance myself. After finishing shoot I want to go home and talk about things apart from films.

 What’s your aim as an actor?

I want to entertain. I want to do films, which entertain the whole country. I can’t cheat the audience in the name of art and creativity.