After watching Student of The Year, we knew Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan were students here to stay. Both of them have progressed individually with their film careers, but now they are back together for Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania! Check out our exclusive interview with Alia and Varun about their upcoming film, funny incidents, and more!
Team MissMalini (Team MM): Who is your favourite on-screen couple?
Varun Dhawan (VD): I think Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, they have outstanding chemistry over the years. In Hollywood, it’s very strange. I don’t know if you all agree with me, but I like Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel. I think they’re really cool.
Alia Bhatt (AB): I think Shah Rukh and Kajol.
Team MM: Have either of you changed as actors after Student Of The Year? Any memorable moments?
VD: She’s definitely grown a lot as an actress. I think with Alia, I really have to take care of her when we do a film because she does fall ill a lot. A LOT. She falls a lot, so I have to keep being alert around her. But we really had a lot of fun.
AB: We are definitely much more comfortable in front of the camera. This time it was simpler to get into the character and just let go as Humpty and Kavya. And we had fun with this one. Before we started shooting, we did a lot of workshops together, so lines were just in our muscle memory. All we had to do was kind of improvise and give some variations.
Team MM: What was the toughest scene you shot?
VD: For me, in the whole movie, it was the climax scene. I was supposed to be drunk while doing it. By the time we got to doing it, it was 4:30 in the morning. I told Shashank that I’m gonna take a while before I get into this role. Sooo, I’m just gonna drink. I’m drunk in the whole climax of the film.
AB: The most simplest scenes can seem hard, so whether it’s just a look or moment, everything is not easy. Sometimes, if you have a bad day, you just get stuck. So I had a bad day once where I hadn’t slept the whole night – I had traveled to Jaipur, slept for 2 hours, so I was having a very hard day, because I couldn’t get my lines and usually I’m really good with my lines. And that day I was struggling, I was fumbling. So sometimes when you’re just really, really tired, it takes a toll on you.
Team MM: What was the funniest thing that happened while shooting?
Varun: There were lots of funny things that happened. I think I was the funniest thing on the sets of the movie. This character is not as energetic as I am in real life, so Shashank had to control me.
Alia: Once we were doing this scene and it was a romantic sweet little scene in Ambala, on a terrace. And in the middle of the scene, this cow was going Moo Mooo, and I was very serious and trying to go for it. But everybody started laughing, so even I started laughing.
Team MM: Varun, why do you keep lifting Alia during the promotions?
Varun: She’s hurt on her leg. Whenever we go for these city visits, the photographers are like “recreate this, recreate that, woh karo, woh karo,” and then they’re like “aap unko utha lo,” so we did it at two places. We don’t want to piss off the photographers these days.
Team MM: Do you two want to work together again after this?
Varun: I feel it’s enough now, but wait and see. What did she say? I’m not saying I don’t mind doing a movie with her, but eventually we’re not doing movies for ourselves. People have to like what we are doing. If they enjoy what they see, then we can. We can’t force the audiences to see us.
Alia: Obviously for some time, we shouldn’t. If this jodi works then yeah. My and Arjun Kapoor’s jodi really worked, so next time we do a movie together, it’s gonna be like amaze! We have a great time shooting together, and we have a great rapport. So maybe not a love story, something different. Like a thriller.
Team MM: What is one quality that you and your respective character share?
Varun: The quality to act tough I guess, like if I’m upset about something. And if I’m hurting about something – I’ll pretend I’m not hurting and go on with it.
Alia: I think Kavya is a very feisty girl, so when she gets angry, she can get like really, really angry. Nobody should even come near her. So I think I’ve got that quality. I rarely get angry, but when I do, you should be afraid.
Team MM: What was your first reaction when you read the script? Did you have any reservations or were you immediately excited?
Varun: I had reservations, but I was very clear about this character. I knew that if I don’t do this character and someone else does it, and being Dharma, they would’ve definitely got someone, I would’ve regretted it. I think these characters live on. In Chandigarh recently, a lot of people were calling me Humpty. A lot of people are hearing the title, not knowing anything about the movie, and they want to watch because it sounds different. Like if I told you come watch Arun Sharma’s Love Story, you’ll be like ‘okay’. But if I say Humpty Sharma’s Love Story, automatically people know this guy’s love story is not normal.
Alia: No, if I have reservations, I know I should not do the film. I was like come on, let’s go for it.
Team MM: Varun, in the trailer you are seen crying while watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Tell us about that!
Varun: Dilwale plays a lot on TV. And everyone watches it everywhere in the world, and people do get senti while watching it, especially while watching it alone. So it’s a very honest moment in the film. And real men aren’t afraid of crying.
Team MM: What’s your favorite song from the album?
Varun: Saturday Saturday is my favorite song from the album. Even Alia’s Samjhawan Unplugged. She’s actually sung it really well. And there’s a remix of it coming out as well. So that’s also pretty cool.
Alia: Samjhawan Unplugged.
Team MM: Varun, how do you feel so close to the release?
Varun: Nervous. From everyone, I’m the most nervous.
Thanks Alia and Varun, and we wish you all the best for Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and all your upcoming projects! Are you looking forward to this movie as much as we are?