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EXCLUSIVE: 5 Films That Varun Dhawan Says Changed His Life

EXCLUSIVE: 5 Films That Varun Dhawan Says Changed His Life
Indiatimes

As one of the most successful actors of his generation, Varun Dhawan literally has a 100% strike-rate at the box office. While he started out with playing a high-school heartthrob in Student of the Year, his choice of films took a darker turn with Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur (2015) which solidified his credibility as an actor. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), ABCD 2 (2015) and Dilwale further established his position as one the most bankable commercial stars in Bollywood.

“As an actor and a film fan, I’ve always enjoyed my father’s (director David Dhawan) films, especially the ones he did with Govinda. They are all classics. But, let me tell you some of the other films that have seriously impacted me,” the actor said when we recently met him at Mehboob Studios in Bandra.

Over a quick cup of steaming tea, Dhawan told HuffPost India the 5 films that changed his life.

1. Guide (1965)

This is my favourite Dev Anand film. When I saw it, I realized that it was unlike any other film I had ever seen, and what’s beautiful is that this holds true even today. It has a timeless, spiritual quality about it. It’s an immensely faithful adaption of RK Laxman’s classic and given the time in which it released, it broke a lot of social norms by exploring themes of adultery and infidelity.

2. The Doors (1991)

I cannot explain the level of impact this film has had on me. It’s one of the most exhilarating biopics I’ve seen. After watching the film, I was so influenced by Jim Morrison that I grew my hair as long as his. The way Val Kilmer transformed himself to look similar to Mr. Morrison is in itself an inspiration for any actor who wants to excel in his craft.

3. American Psycho (2000)

I was in college when I saw this film and I completely tripped. I was only 16 and I still remember watching the film thrice on the same day. It had such an impact on me that I started imitating Christian Bale’s style by walking, talking and even dressing like his character did. He’s my favourite actor and this is my favourite film of his—it is dark, dirty and gritty.

4. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)

Mansoor Khan is a genius. And when he teams up with Aamir Khan, this gem of a film is the result. It taught us so many things about life, and more importantly, at the right time. The brotherhood, the team spirit, the unity is something every child needs when he/she is growing up and nothing summed up those values better than Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. It’s an absolute must-watch.

5. Anchorman (2004)

No list is complete without a film which you can watch over and over again, simply for its comic beauty. Ron Burgundy is just iconic and whatever is said about the genius of Will Ferrell falls short of doing justice to his incredible talent. The way this character has been enacted teaches you a lot about comic-timing and never fails to crack me up, which is why it makes it to my list of top 5 films.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.