• 2 days ago
Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan, who was in Dubai to promote his epic romance ‘Bawaal’ with Janhvi Kapoor atop the floating hotel QE2, describes love as transformative but seems to have a problematic take on the role of women in marriages. In his eyes, women are tasked with doing the heavy-lifting in a relationship, indicating a skewed understanding of gender roles and expectations.

Read the full story here: https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/bollywood/men-need-to-be-domesticated--women-will-do-that-for-you-varun-dhawans-candid-take-on-love-and-marriages-1.97048718

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Transcript
00:00Why have you come to the city of Hitler?
00:01The real world war will now begin.
00:14Good afternoon, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan from Gulf News.
00:17I'm the entertainment editor.
00:19Today I have a very talented ensemble from Bawal, the cast and crew on QE2.
00:24It's a floating hotel and it's also very historic.
00:27I feel it.
00:28It's the perfect spot to go for a trailer reveal.
00:32What do you think?
00:33Totally, it's dynamic, it's new.
00:37Always when I'm planning to launch a film or do something,
00:41I'm always trying to look at what can we do, how can we create Bawal.
00:46This is a great setting.
00:47It has so much significance to our film and world war as well.
00:50So great to be here, great to be back in Dubai and create Bawal.
00:55What about you, Janvi?
00:57You're a big hit with Gulf News.
00:58Whenever we have your name online, I don't know, it just goes crazy, the website.
01:02She creates a Bawal each time on the Gulf News website.
01:06But are you happy to be a part of such a tumultuous love story?
01:10Of course, I'm happy to be a part of anything that has all of them involved,
01:14the people that I look up to.
01:16And like we said before during the press conference that it's such a special story
01:21and we're so thrilled that we got to introduce this
01:23in such a big way in Dubai, a city that I think we all love so much.
01:26Brilliant.
01:27And Sajid, honestly, when I saw this trailer of the movie,
01:29saw the scale, the stars, etc.,
01:32I assumed it would go the traditional theatrical route.
01:34I was very surprised when I realized it will come first on Amazon Prime.
01:38What are your thoughts?
01:39Why did you, what kind of?
01:41It's not I, I thought it's we, we decided after watching the film
01:45that this needs international coverage.
01:47Really in your life, you know, I've been making films for 36 years, 37 years actually.
01:52And there are rare times where you feel that this should be watched
01:56all over the world at the same time in their languages.
02:00And I got this opportunity with this film,
02:02like I got the opportunity last film to get a national award.
02:05So we all are talking about this chemistry,
02:07but this chemistry shouldn't be also sidelined.
02:10We have a great chemistry.
02:11We've delivered something very beautiful last.
02:14And I think with this, people will be very,
02:17I mean, happy to see this cinema all over the world at the same time.
02:21Right, of course.
02:21And Nitesh, comparing a love story to the atrocities of World War II,
02:26it's a bit of a stretch.
02:27Were you very fearful that it's going to, you know,
02:29I mean, how can you compare World War II and its crime to a love story?
02:33I mean, I'm sure you guys felt the pain, but how can you compare the two?
02:36And what are your thoughts?
02:37Did you fear as actors that it would come across as trite?
02:40So no, as long as you are mindful of the sensitivities
02:44which are involved in the subject.
02:46And secondly, also about the treatment, you know,
02:49to make it extremely believable.
02:52So to say something like that, you know,
02:57I think people should hold on to their opinions till they see the film.
03:02And I don't think any of those fears will be found true, is what I'm saying.
03:07It's something which is very meaningful, something which is very beautiful
03:11and something which respects, you know, whatever has happened
03:15and takes a leaf out of the history and tries to correct the present.
03:20So, you know, that's what we should be doing.
03:22Not trivialising war or the crime itself.
03:24You should see the film, yeah.
03:25Okay, brilliant.
03:26I was not a great, would you like to add to that as well,
03:29as actors where you get a bit fearful?
03:31No, yeah.
03:31And I'll tell you why, because I've spent so much time fearing.
03:36You're fearing what?
03:37You're fearing the future.
03:38And you don't know life.
03:40Nobody knows what's going to happen the next second.
03:42And we spend so much time fearing, fearing what's going to happen.
03:45And this is a constant battle as humans that we have.
03:47We have to fight ourselves, fight our own insecurities.
03:50So, but I think it's time to go for it.
03:53Give it your all, just go all in.
03:55All, just go all in.
03:57It's a leap of faith.
03:58Yeah, go with, just jump.
03:59And I think when you have like such gifted and such celebrated makers with you,
04:05I think eventually they are doing the thinking.
04:07As an actor, you have to go all in and try and convince them.
04:10That is the power of acting, right?
04:11I have to convince the audience that why Arju goes on this journey with Nisha.
04:15So, I've gone all in.
04:16All in?
04:17Yeah.
04:17How about you, Janhavi?
04:18I mean, I think it's important to note that none of us are trying to compare
04:24any of the characters' problems to the atrocities of the Second World War.
04:27It's more just a lesson.
04:31And I mean, without divulging more, it's,
04:35I think everyone will get a better idea about why
04:37the Second World War is such an important metaphor in our film after watching the film.
04:40But I don't think we're trying to demean, diminish,
04:43or trivialise the gravity of this war at all.
04:49But it's an important theme in the film.
04:53And it's one that we can't ignore.
04:54And I feel like everyone will understand it far more once they see the film.
04:57And you know, today, see, the internet or social media
05:00will want to create a bawal out of anything and everything.
05:02When Jojo Rabbit gets made, you know, you're all okay.
05:06And just because it's being made by the West, you're like all okay to accept it.
05:09You think that?
05:09Yeah, 100%.
05:10There is a discrimination.
05:13By our own audiences.
05:15But that was a satire on the Second World War.
05:18I'm just saying there's always, when the West does it,
05:21we are always very accepting that they can pull it off.
05:24And definitely because of their efficiency and their prowess and their work,
05:27how they, you know, merge CG and everything.
05:31But we are very doubtful when makers try something here.
05:35But how will we break new ground if we don't try?
05:38Right.
05:38So you're pushing new boundaries with this one.
05:40Listen, I did not pay attention to my history class.
05:43So before the trailer launch, I actually looked up World War II,
05:46when did it start, etc.
05:48Did you guys have the same issue?
05:49Or was I the only one?
05:50I have no clue who was voting against who won finally.
05:54But he knew everything.
05:56He and she actually.
05:57You are a history buff?
05:59Yeah, specifically the Second World War.
06:01Wow.
06:02I did not see that coming.
06:03How about you?
06:04My dad was a history teacher for a very long time.
06:07And he was very interested in World War II.
06:10So I had no choice but to grow up knowing about World Wars.
06:14Right, right.
06:15Brilliant.
06:16Okay, well, last question.
06:17We have been asked to wrap.
06:18What's the best part about acting in a very turbulent love story?
06:24You know, does it have a happy ending?
06:25You don't have to reveal that.
06:26But do you believe in true love wins all?
06:29I think so.
06:30Different versions of it.
06:31But the most fun part of it for me were actually the scenes where
06:35both our characters were in conflict.
06:37I think as actors, those are always fun scenes to do.
06:40And you?
06:41I mean, I'm married.
06:42So I definitely believe in the institution of marriage.
06:44And I believe how it can, you know, change people for the better.
06:48And this film has a very interesting take on marriage.
06:52And the kind of impact it can have on a man, you know.
06:56And I really believe men need to be domesticated.
07:00We need to be taught about it.
07:01I truly believe that.
07:02Did you actually say that?
07:03I truly believe men need to be taught.
07:05Some men at least.
07:05And women will do that for you?
07:07I think women are definitely the most superior species.
07:10For sure.
07:10There's no doubt about that in my mind.
07:12At least I think of them that way.
07:13Because my mother, my wife.
07:14So you got domesticated after you got married?
07:16I thought I had by my mother.
07:17But then I think after I got married, even further more.
07:19Well done, you.
07:20Well done, your wife.
07:21How about you, Sajid?
07:22Still a believer in love?
07:23Yeah, definitely.
07:24I, 90% of my films are around love stories only.
07:27So if there's a war, it's love.
07:29If there's underworld, there's love.
07:31Anything, any premise you place me, there's love in it.
07:35Excellent.
07:36And Nitesh, what about you?
07:37There's always a strain of love in your movies.
07:39I would not make anything which I don't believe in.
07:41So that should answer your question.
07:43Excellent.
07:44Thank you so much for speaking to us.
07:45And I hope love wins.
07:47And not war.
07:48Thank you so much for your time.
07:50Take care, guys.

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