Actor Chunky Panday is basking in the positive response of his latest release ‘Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’. In an exclusive interview, the actor once again opened up about working with the veteran filmmaker David Dhawansharing screen space with an old friend Rakesh Bediand fond memories from the sets of the cult comedy ‘Aankhen’.
Chunky Panday says Rakesh Bedi is the most loving soul
One of the highlights of Chunky’s film was his association with Rakesh Bedi, who plays his composer in the film.“He’s royal. I love Rakesh. We spent so much time together in Scotland. After the shoot, we’d go to the pub and talk for hours,” Chunky recalls with a smile.The actor revealed that during these interviews, Rakesh would constantly talk about his upcoming film ‘Dhurandhar’, much before its release.“He was so excited. I’m so happy for him today. While we were shooting in Scotland, he was telling me how special the film was. He didn’t reveal the story, but he said 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 the film ‘Aankhen’ where Bedi played Govinda and the man replaced by Chunky in the hilarious plot of the film. They later came together for ‘Teesra Kaun’ along with the late Satish Shah.“I’ve always had a great relationship with him. He’s one of the kindest souls in the industry.”After watching ‘Dhurandhar’, Chunky wasted no time in contacting his friend.“I called him immediately after I saw him. One and two, both! I was so excited about him because he was amazing.”
Rajesh Kumar’s ‘To the Saiyans ‘ success added to the pressure
Interestingly, Rakesh Bedi was not the only actor on set discussing an upcoming project.Chunky revealed that actor Rajesh Kumar, who is known for ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’, recently wrapped up work on ‘Saiyaara’ and often talks about the film during breaks.“So here I had Rakesh talking about ‘Dhurandhar’ and Rajesh Kumar talking about ‘Saiyaara’. Now one has given a ‘Dhurandhar’ and the other has given a ‘Saiyaara’. I guess the pressure is on me now,” he joked.The actor added that he is looking at an exciting phase in his career, with several projects lined up, including a film backed by filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s production banner.“It will be a year full of movie premieres for me.”
Chunky Panday is even more energetic than David Dhawan during ‘Aankhen’
Working with David Dhawan again after more than three decades became an emotional trip down memory lane for Chunky.“Oh my God, it brought back all those nostalgic memories of ‘Aankhen,'” he said.When asked what has changed in the director since then, Chunky’s answer was immediate.“David has become even more energetic than during Aankh’s time. He would be ready to shoot at 5 am every day. People think only Akshay Kumar wakes up that early, but so does David.”What hasn’t changed, however, is Dhawan’s unique style of filmmaking.“He’s still editing the film as it’s being shot. He’s not waiting for the final cut. He’s constantly tweaking the film as it’s being made.”Chunky recalled a hilarious incident from a previous collaboration, when he paused significantly in a scene to show off his acting skills.“David said to me, ‘The time you need for that break, I’m going to make a movie out of it!'”The actor explained that before monitors became commonplace on movie sets, actors often relied on David’s facial expressions to judge whether a shot was working.“We kept looking at David from the corner of our eyes. If he was enjoying himself, we knew we were doing something right. He actually lives all the characters in his films.”According to Chunky, the director gets so engrossed in a scene that he occasionally ends up walking into the camera frame while a shot is being shot.“This is how David lives his films. He thoroughly enjoys them.”
David Dhawan will take 13 reps if the scene calls for it
Chunky also praised Dhawan’s relentless pursuit of perfection.“If he doesn’t make the play, he’ll make 13 rebounds. He never gives up.”The actor stated that David does not focus on the performance of an individual but on the rhythm of the whole scene.“He just wants the scene to work. Until he gets the beat, he won’t let go. He keeps changing things until he gets what he wants.”
Making movies at lightning speed
Talking about the making of ‘Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, Chunky revealed that the team spent about 25 days shooting in Scotland, followed by additional schedules in India.But compared to Dhawan’s earlier films, even that schedule seems relaxed.Recalling the making of ‘Aankhen’, Chunky revealed that the blockbuster was completed at breakneck speed.“We shot Aankh for 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.”The experience, he says, reminded him why David Dhawan remains one of Hindi cinema’s most successful entertainers.“David doesn’t just direct movies, he lives them.”
