I’m not scared of failure: Varun Dhawan

By Sugandha Rawal

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Varun Dhawan is expanding his horizon with each of his projects -- be it "Badrinath Ki Dulhania", "October" and the recent release "Kalank", which has become the highest opener of 2019 so far. The actor says he treats each project as a challenge, and pushes himself to improve his craft.

"I am not scared of failure, but each movie is a challenge. I work harder with each project and try and improve my work constantly," Varun told IANS over an email.

After back-to-back successes, the actor says experimenting with one's craft comes as a bigger risk.

"It's definitely a bigger risk because it is a different experience for me. I think that showing your experience is more important and reaching the audience is essential," added the actor, who is associated with Skybags and features in the "Always a Star" campaign.

But he prefers not to think much about failure.

"Failure and success come with every occupation and the film industry is no different. I believe that what goes around comes around. Bad things happen, followed by better things."

The younger of the two sons of director David Dhawan, Varun entered Bollywood as an actor with "Student of the Year" in 2012. He worked as an assistant director to Karan Johar on the 2010 drama "My Name Is Khan".

After walking into Bollywood as a student, Varun has graduated after showcasing his calibre with each of his projects.

From playing the role of a small town boy from Jhansi in "Badrinath Ki Dulhania", to getting the act right in dance film "ABCD 2" to the dark and gritty "Badlapur" to the subtle "October" to fun films like "Dilwale", "Dishoom", "Main Tera Hero" and "Judwaa 2" -- he has aced his performance in each of the projects.

Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has been an inspiration in his life as he navigated the world of glitz and glamour.

"Dwayne Johnson was my main inspiration before I stepped into the industry. I have always admired his work and creativity," he said.

Varun is back on the big screen -- this time in an intense avatar as Zafar in "Kalank". The Abhishek Varman directorial, a period drama, registered business of Rs 21.60 crore on the first day, surpassing the opening day collection of "Kesari", "Gully Boy" and "Total Dhamaal", and has become the highest opener of 2019 so far.

According to trade expert Taran Adarsh, "Kalank", which opened on Wednesday, is Varun's biggest opener.

Talking about the role, he said: "I would define the entire experience as the most challenging role I have done so far. It was really challenging as I had to do all the stunts by myself like going through a wringer, me banging myself against the wall and jumping off heights."

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)