Actor Chunky Panday is basking in the positive response to his latest release, ‘Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’. In an exclusive conversation, the actor opened up about working once again with veteran filmmaker David Dhawan, sharing screen space with longtime friend Rakesh Bedi, and the fond memories that came flooding back from the sets of the cult comedy ‘Aankhen’.
Chunky Panday says Rakesh Bedi is the most lovable soul
One of the highlights of the film for Chunky was reuniting with Rakesh Bedi, who plays his compounder in the movie.“He’s too cute. I love Rakesh. We spent so much time together in Scotland. After shooting, we’d go pub hopping and just chat for hours,” Chunky recalled with a smile.The actor revealed that during those conversations, Rakesh would constantly speak about his upcoming film ‘Dhurandhar’, long before its release.“He was so excited about it. I’m so happy for him today. While we were shooting in Scotland, he kept telling me how special the film was. He didn’t reveal the story, but he kept saying that the director had created a beautiful world. You could see the excitement in his eyes.”Chunky and Rakesh go back decades. The two first worked together in ‘Aankhen’, where Bedi played the man impersonated by Govinda and Chunky in the film’s hilarious plot. They later reunited for ‘Teesra Kaun’ alongside the late Satish Shah.“I’ve always had a great rapport with him. He’s one of the most lovable souls in the industry.”After watching ‘Dhurandhar’, Chunky wasted no time reaching out to his friend.“I called him immediately after watching it. One and two, both! I was so excited for him because he was fantastic in it.”
Rajesh Kumar’s ‘Saiyaara ‘ success added to the pressure
Interestingly, Rakesh Bedi wasn’t the only actor on the set discussing an upcoming project.Chunky revealed that actor Rajesh Kumar, best known for ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’, had also recently wrapped up work on ‘Saiyaara’ and would often talk about the film during breaks.“So here I had Rakesh talking about ‘Dhurandhar’ and Rajesh Kumar talking about ‘Saiyaara’. Now one has delivered a ‘Dhurandhar’ and the other has delivered a ‘Saiyaara’. I think the pressure is on me now,” he joked.The actor added that he is looking forward to an exciting phase in his career, with several projects lined up, including a film backed by filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s production banner.“It’s going to be a year full of film releases for me.”
David Dhawan is even more energetic than he was during ‘Aankhen’ reveals Chunky Panday
Working with David Dhawan again after more than three decades turned into an emotional trip down memory lane for Chunky.“My God, it brought back all those nostalgic memories from ‘Aankhen’,” he said.Asked what had changed in the director since then, Chunky’s answer was immediate.“David has become even more energetic than he was during Aankhen. He would be ready to shoot at 5 in the morning every day. People think only Akshay Kumar wakes up that early, but David does too.”What hasn’t changed, however, is Dhawan’s unique filmmaking style.“He still edits the film while shooting it. He doesn’t wait for the final cut. He’s constantly shaping the movie as it’s being made.”Chunky recalled a hilarious incident from an earlier collaboration when he paused dramatically during a scene in an attempt to showcase his acting skills.“David told me, ‘The amount of time you’ve taken for that pause, I’ll make a film in that!'”The actor explained that in the days before monitors became commonplace on film sets, actors often relied on David’s facial expressions to judge whether a shot was working.“We used to keep looking at David from the corner of our eyes. If he was enjoying it, we’d know we were doing something right. He actually lives every character in his films.”According to Chunky, the director becomes so immersed in a scene that he occasionally ends up stepping into the camera frame while a shot is being filmed.“That’s how David lives his films. He enjoys them completely.”
David Dhawan will take 13 retakes if that’s what the scene needs
Chunky also praised Dhawan’s relentless pursuit of perfection.“If he doesn’t get the scene right, he’ll even take 13 retakes. He never gives up.”The actor noted that David isn’t focused on an individual’s performance as much as he is on the rhythm of the entire scene.“He only wants the scene to work. Until he gets the right beat, he won’t let it go. He keeps changing things around until he gets exactly what he wants.”
Making films at lightning speed
Talking about the making of ‘Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, Chunky revealed that the team spent around 25 days shooting in Scotland, followed by additional schedules in India.But compared to Dhawan’s earlier films, even that schedule seems leisurely.Recalling the making of ‘Aankhen’, Chunky revealed that the blockbuster was completed at breakneck speed.“We made Aankhen in about three months. We started with the song ‘Bade Kaam Ka Bandar’ in Mumbai and within a week we were on a flight to Hyderabad. We shot most of the film there, came back to Bombay and wrapped it up.”The experience, he says, reminded him why David Dhawan remains one of Hindi cinema’s most successful entertainers.“David doesn’t just direct films. He lives them.”
