Actor Chunky Panday is enjoying the positive response to his latest release, ‘Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’. In an exclusive chat, the actor spoke about working again with veteran director David Dhawan, sharing screen space with his old friend Rakesh Bedi, and the fond memories brought back from the sets of the popular comedy ‘Aankhen’.
Chunky Panday says Rakesh Bedi is the most lovable soul
One of the highlights of Chunky was his reunion with Rakesh Bedi, who plays his vehicle in the film.“He’s very nice. I love Rakesh. We spent a lot of time together in Scotland. After the shoot, we would go bar hopping and just talk for hours,” recalls Chunky with a smile.The actor revealed that during those conversations, Rakesh was constantly talking about his upcoming film ‘Dhurandhar’, much 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 movie 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 the film Aankhen, where Bedi played the role of a man who impersonates Govinda and Chunky in the film’s hilarious plot.
They later reunited in ‘Teesra Kaun’ alongside late Satish Shah.“I’ve always had a great relationship with him. He’s one of the most beloved souls in the industry.”After watching the movie ‘Dhurandhar’, Chunky wasted no time in reaching out to his friend.“I called him as soon as I saw him. One and two, both! I was so excited for him because he was great in it.”
“Rajesh Kumar”Sayara 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, famous for Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, had recently completed his work on Saiyaara and would often talk about the film during breaks.“Here he has Rakesh talking about Dhurandhar and Rajesh Kumar talking about Saiyaara. Now one of them has delivered Dhurandhar and the other has delivered 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 many projects lined up, including a film backed by director Hansal Mehta.“It’s going to be a year full of movie releases for me.”
David Dhawan is more active than he was during the reveal of Chunky Panday in the film Aankhen
Working with David Dhawan again after more than three decades turned out to be an emotional trip down memory lane for Chunky.“Oh my God, it brought back all those nostalgic memories from the movie Aankhen,” he said.When asked what has changed in the director since then, Chunky’s answer was immediate.“David is more active than he was during Aankhen. He will be ready to shoot at 5am every day.
People think that Akshay Kumar is the only one who wakes up early, but David does too.But what hasn’t changed is Dhawan’s unique style of filmmaking.“He’s still editing the movie while he’s shooting it. He doesn’t wait for the final cut. He’s constantly shaping the movie while it’s being made.”Chunky recalls a funny incident from a previous collaboration when he paused dramatically during a scene in an attempt to showcase his acting skills.“David said to me, ‘As much time as I spent on this pose, I’m going to make a movie in it!’The actor explained that in the days before monitors appeared on film sets, actors would often rely on David’s facial expressions to judge whether a shot was successful or not.“We used to look at David out of the corner of our eyes. If he was enjoying it, we knew we were doing something right. He actually lives every character in his films.”According to Chunky, the director becomes so immersed in the scene that he sometimes ends up stepping into the camera frame while shooting the shot.“That’s how David lives his films. He thoroughly enjoys them.”
David Dhawan will reshoot 13 times 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 reshoot it 13 times. He never gives up.”The actor pointed out that David does not focus on the individual performance as much as he focuses on the rhythm of the entire scene.“He just wants the scene to work. Until he gets the rhythm right, he won’t let it go. He keeps changing things until he gets exactly what he wants.”
Lightning-fast filmmaking
Speaking 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 previous films, even this schedule seems slow.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, then returned to Bombay and finished it.”He says the experience reminded him why David Dhawan remains one of the most successful artists in Indian cinema.“David doesn’t just direct films, he lives them.”