Dhawans on a roll

On Thursday, both of David Dhawan’s sons were at Yashraj Studio shooting for their respective debut films. Rohit was directing Desi Boyz while Varun was filming Student Of The Year that started rolling on August 16. Both brothers were on the same floor.

“It’s a happy coincidence,” smiles

Rohit. “I couldn’t have wished for a better launch for Varun, who is in the safest pair of hands. I was on a recce in London when mom and dad called to tell me that Varun had landed a big break. I was driving at the time, I stopped the car and jumped with joy.”

He admits that since they were kids, it was expected that they would follow in their dad’s footsteps. Varun always wanted to be an actor while Rohit went to film school to take a course in writing and directing. It took him two years to complete his first script and Desi Boyz with Akshay Kumar and John Abraham, rolled on November 7 last year, wrapping up on April 19. It will open in theatres on November 25, a month-and-a-half after David’s film, Rascals, which releases on October 6. “That’s another happy coincidence,” laughs Rohit. “But that’s where the similarities end. Dad’s made 43 movies, he’s had at least one release every year. This is my first movie. Comparisons  are inevitable but unfair because those are big shoes to fill since dad is a brand with a string of blockbusters.”
The obvious question is, how much has David contributed to his debut film? “We were both busy with our films to do more than discuss each other’s day at dinner,” says Rohit, adding that his humour is more subtle. “Dad gave the mahurat clap and after that never came on the sets. He’s waiting to see the film. I hope Desi Boyz is as entertaining as the films he makes.”