While Mumbai critics have their own smirking take on David Dhawan’s Judwaa 2, the audience seems to be enjoying every minute of Varun Dhawan’s raillery and tomfoolery.
David Dhawan laughs dismissively at the derisive reviews. “Let the critics have their fun. God bless them. They are so cut off from the real India. If they were right and I was wrong I would not be making films any more. I’d have been booed out of the business by now.”
But here he is, the super-prolific filmmaker who began his directorial career in 1989 with the Govinda-Sanjay Dutt starrer Taaqatwar. “Judwaa 2 is my 45th film…need I say anything more? To those out there who want to know why I don’t change my style of on-screen comedy, my argument is simple: chalti gadi ka bonnet nahin kholte (you don’t open the bonnet of a moving car).
When my so-called formula is being accepted so wholeheartedly, why would I want to change my style of filmmaking? Every filmmaker has a signature stamp that you see in all his films. Would you have asked the late Manmohan Desai to change his pattern of filmmaking in spite of all his films being a success?”
David Dhawan considers himself Manmohan Desai’s biggest disciple. “I learnt everything that I know about filmmaking from Manmohan Desai. He was mentor and guru. I owe my career to him. If I’ve lasted so long, it’s because of his teaching and blessings.”
David reveals that the first Judwaa starring Salman Khan when it was released in 1997 was also trashed by critics. “Not a single review praised Judwaa. Now critics are calling it a classic while trashing Judwaa 2. So maybe when I make Judwaa 3 they will change their opinion about Judwaa 2.”
