Repeatedly rejected in the audition, Dhurandhar changed his luck: Naveen Kaushik said – It took time but got the opportunity, Donga became the turning point of his career.
Actor Naveen Kaushik, who made his mark with Part One of Dhurandhar, is now in the news for the second part of the film. From the recently released teaser to the love he received for his character, years of struggle in the industry, memorable moments on the set and the controversies surrounding the film, Naveen spoke openly on every issue. In an exclusive conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, he told why Dhurandhar: The Revenge is going to be bigger, more dangerous and more emotional than ever before, and how this film has turned out to be the biggest turning point of his career. First of all let’s talk about the teaser of Dhurandhar: The Revenge. You have been an important part of Dhurandhar Part One, so what was your review after watching the teaser? I am very excited because there is going to be tremendous action in part two. Many new characters are also going to be added. In Part One, many questions were left in the minds of people about who is Hamza and where has he come from. After all, what happened is that R Madhavan’s character says that we choose such people who have nothing left in their lives, either those who have been sentenced to life imprisonment or those who are on the verge of death. Answers to all these questions will be found in Part 2. I’m extremely interested in what’s going to happen next. The action sequences seen in the teaser look bigger, more violent and more explosive than ever before. Some fans on social media also appeared disappointed with the teaser. They felt that nothing new was shown. How do you see it? According to me, there are three big reasons for this. Firstly, the scene shown in the teaser actually comes at the end of Part One, before the credits. Many people got up and left as soon as the film ended, they did not even see that pre-credit scene. Now the same scene is new for him. Secondly, the song in the teaser is new. Before the release, people were asking which song is this, because it is not the song in the trailer. Third, some time ago there were rumors that the release date of March 19 might be shifted, because Toxic is releasing on the same day. I think one of the objectives of the teaser was to tell that the film will be released on March 19 only. The trailer of Part 2 will come soon and that will show the real picture to the people. Do you regret not being a part of Part Two? There is a little bit. I myself had no idea that Part One would be such a big hit and that my character would get so much love. During the shooting I knew that this character would end here. When it was announced that Part One would be made in two parts, at the trailer launch I jokingly said to Aditya sir, ‘Sir, bring it back alive.’ But the truth is that every character in every story has a limit. Donga’s journey was till part one only. Because of that ending, the film left a deep impact on people. Good triumphed and evil came to an end. This expectation prepares the ground for part two. Still, a little regret remains. How did you get associated with Dhurandhar? To whom would you like to give the biggest credit for this film? I give full credit for this wholeheartedly to Mukesh Chhabra ji. He has known me for about 25 years since my Delhi theater days. For 16 years in Mumbai, they tried hard to find a good role for me, but I mostly kept getting the same bossy roles. I was very frustrated as I was getting neither artistic satisfaction, nor fame, nor financial satisfaction. I had even decided to quit acting. Just then Mukesh ji’s call came. He said that there is a film and this character is completely different. I was not ready, but he insisted and sent me to meet Aditya Dhar sir. Aditya sir explained both the film and the character in such detail that I felt I should do it. He assured that every character will have his own story and arc and he kept his promise. Tell us some such BTS moments from the sets of the film, which the audience could not see on the 70 mm screen? As you might have seen the film, most of my work was with Rahman Dacoit’s gang. Usually films are finished in a month or two, but the shoot of Dhurandhar lasted for about one and a half years. Danish, I, Vikram Sunil and the rest of the gang members kept meeting regularly. Initially there is a formal fear on the set that this is our senior, the director, the DOP. But within one and a half years all those formalities were broken. Then they started pulling each other’s legs. Vikas Nolakha (DOP) used to come again and again and say ‘Continuity of beard, continuity of beard.’ Maintaining a beard for one and a half years was not easy. He used to tease me a lot and say, ‘You don’t have hair, at least take care of your beard.’ How was the experience of interacting with Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna and Sanjay Dutt on the sets? Almost all my scenes were with Ranveer Singh. There were many scenes with Akshay Khanna also. In the beginning everything was very professional. But after shooting together for one and a half years, that wall fell down. Akshay sir is very reserved. His character Rehman Dacoit is very serious and he has played it with the same level of detailing. If you want to talk to them, they talk openly, but they don’t seek attention. I told him that at the time of Dil Chahta Hai, I was in college and used to do theatre. Everyone wanted to be Aamir Khan’s character, but I found your character the most relatable because he was an artist. On this he further said that often people focus only on the dialogues and not on the nuances of the character. Dhurandhar was your first action film. Did you feel scared or nervous while doing such big action sequences? It was a great experience. Especially in the fight scene inside the car. The thought that kept running in my mind was what if it accidentally hits Ranveer Singh or Akshay sir? I was holding my punches. But he explained how to show full force, without hurting anyone. Aditya sir and the entire team guided me through this entire process. Are you nervous while working with such big stars? Nervousness is always there and should also be there. As an actor, there is a fear that the dialogue might fumble. Even though it has gone digital now, the film roll mentality still persists in the mind that if a mistake is made, time and money will be wasted. But Ranveer Singh, Akshay Khanna, Arjun Rampal, no one ever made me feel nervous. Everyone’s objective was that everyone’s work should be done well. Before its release, there were talks of boycott and propaganda regarding the film. How did you take it? I was just afraid that people might dismiss the film without seeing it. If you make a film on a subject like India-Pakistan, political undertones will definitely come. But this does not mean that you are against any community. Nowhere in the film was it said that Muslims are wrong or the people of Pakistan are bad. We have only shown the system which promoted terrorism. After the release, the public’s love made everything clear. Dhurandhar: What kind of expectations do you have from The Revenge Part Two? If Part One has earned around Rs 1300 crores, I want Part Two to earn Rs 2000 crores. Those who liked the action of Part One, will like Part Two even more. The release of Dhurandhar: The Revenge on March 19 is clashing with Toxic. How do you see this conflict? This is good for Indian cinema. The audience has a choice. I want both the films to run. If such films become hits, more such stories will be made. In the end, it is the audience who benefits.
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