Producer Karan Johar had recently revealed that he was to make Kalank (2019) around 15 years ago with actor Shah Rukh Khan, but it didn’t work out then. Khan’s role is now being played by actor Varun Dhawan in the film to be released on 17 April. During the trailer launch of the film, Dhawan was asked if he had any interaction about the film with Khan.
“I met Shah Rukh sir a week back. I showed him the teaser and asked him how he found it. He had some good things to say about that. He was quite pleased. I told him that I used soorma and asked how I look. He smiled at me and said that it is good that I am doing these roles which could get me closer to the audience,” said Dhawan.
Directed by Abhishek Varman, the film also features an ensemble cast of Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur. The film is a love story between the characters of Dhawan and Bhatt and is set during India’s Partition in 1947.
When asked whether he took any tips from Khan since he was supposed to do the film, Dhawan was quick to add, “Honestly, I never asked him how I should approach the role.”
Dhawan went down memory lane to recall when Varman was first narrated the story of Kalank. It happened when the two of them were assisting director Johar on My Name Is Khan (2010). “Abhishek and I used to be roommates during My Name Is Khan. So I remember the first time Abhishek had heard this story then. He had said how Karan had narrated it to him. But at that time nobody had imagined that Abhishek will direct it and I will act in it,” said Varun.
Kalank will be in theatres on 17 April.