David Dhawan, the man behind some of Bollywood’s most iconic comedies, has finally addressed a question that has lingered in the minds of fans for decades: why did he never direct Shah Rukh Khan? Despite both being at the top in the industry during the 1990s and 2000s, the duo never worked together, and David suggests the reason was more about timing than anything else.
Speaking during the promotions of his upcoming film, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, David clarified that there was never any lack of intent to work with the Shah Rukh. When asked about the rumoured collaboration plans, he said, “Aisi baat nahi hai (It isn’t like that). I think at one time we were planning to do something together. But I was always busy. Always mere paas do pictures floor mein rahti thi (I always had two films on the floors at that time). So, it was very difficult, you know. But definitely at one stage it was there.”
David Dhawan, who became synonymous with the “No. 1” series of films, explained that his career trajectory simply aligned with other stars naturally. He said that he never had a rigid preference for specific actors but rather followed the flow of his successful partnerships. He added, “Par mera kabhi bhi aisa nahi hai ke main yeh actor ke saath work karunga. Maine jaise Govinda ke saath kiya, Salman ke saath kiya, Sanjay… wohi ho gaya tha hisab kitab (But it’s never been the case that I would only work with a specific actor. As I worked with Govinda, Salman, and Sanjay (Dutt), it just worked out that way).”
The director is currently preparing for the release of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, which stars his son Varun Dhawan alongside Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. The film recently made headlines due to online backlash about the use of AI-generated toddlers in its teaser. Addressing the controversy, David told ANI, “AI hai hee nahin picture mein… Kya karein kuch alag karein, to banake dekha humne. Theek laga. Kahani bhi ye nahin hai. (There is no AI in the film. We wanted to do something different. We thought it looked ok. The story is also different).”
He further clarified that the teaser was just a glimpse and does not represent the full movie, saying, “It’s just a teaser. You’ll get to know when the songs will come. The picture has got nothing to do with AI.” The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on May 22.
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