David Dhawan It has opened about late Rishi Kapoor he completely refused to participate in his film, later he became one of his closest collaborators. The candid revelation happened in a recent conversation between David and his son Varun Dhawan before his next release, ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, which hits theaters on June 5, 2026.David Dhawan remembers Rishi Kapoor refusing to work with himAccording to a Hindustan Times report, David Dhawan, who started his career as a film editor in Hindi cinema before turning director, approached producer Nitin Manmohan to direct the 1992 comedy ‘Bol Radha Bol’ starring Rishi Kapoor. Although the filmmaker readily agreed, convincing the veteran actor was a challenge. Despite being impressed with the script, Rishi Kapoor was hesitant to work with the relatively new director.Narrating the episode to Varun, David said, “Producer Nitin Mohan was my friend, and I was editing his film. This was also the time when I was directing ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’. Nitin saw seven reels of that film, and he told me that I will direct his film. He started a film with Rishi Kapoor and signed him. However, Rishi Kapoor told him ‘don’t do this’, but Rishi Kapoor liked the script, so Nitin told him, ‘do this film or not. Directed by David’ the film is titled Bol Radha Bol.”Rishi Kapoor: The Man Who Loved Raging PeopleDespite a rocky start, Rishi Kapoor and David Dhawan went on to build a warm and lasting friendship. The duo collaborated in several hit films including ‘Chashme Baddoor’, ‘Yeh Hai Jalwa’, ‘Yaraana’ and ‘Eena Meena Deeka’.David fondly reminisced about Rishi’s playful side, saying, “Then I became Rishi Kapoor’s favourite. But that’s the way he is – he was the guy who rags people. He also tore his son.”More about ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ is produced by Ramesh Taurani with Varun Dhawan. Mrunal Thakurand Pooja Hegde along with Maniesh Paul, Chunky Pandey, Jimmy Shergill and Mouni Roy in the lead roles.The film will be released worldwide in theaters on June 5, 2026.
