Two years after the release of Pyaar Ka Punchnama, which can pretty much be hailed as a modern day cult flick, Divyendu Sharma (who played oh-so-adorable foul mouthed Liquid in the film) is back with Chashme Baddoor. This time around, he is much politer in tone though, what with ‘sher-o-shaayari’ forming a major part of his dialogues. While one looks forward to what the youngster has to offer in the David Dhawan directed laugh riot, Divyendu reveals that he was unsure about doing the film in the first place when it came to him.
By the look of things it seems that despite being a remake, there is a lot of turnaround that has happened in today’s version of ‘Chashme Baddoor’.
That’s right. Just the basic crux and the title are similarities here; otherwise everything else is completely different here. You can make out from the very look itself.
While you seem to be happy about the results that are up on display, story goes that you were not too sure if you really wanted to step in the film.
Yes, that’s true again. In fact when David sir called me to offer a film and told me that he is making Chashme Baddoor, I was in two minds. It is one of my favourites and a cult classic no less. I could sense that it would be tricky to bring something like that back on screen three decades later. However the moment David sir started narrating the movie, I could see such a strong vision that he carried about it. I was very relieved because his vision was completely different from what Sai Paranjpye had done. The whole setting and the language has gone through a sea change here.
For you too it seems like a sea change from the world of ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’. Guess you have brought a major transition from your act then and now.
Frankly, it is a conscious call. It was very important for me as an actor because after Pyaar Ka Punchnama, I got a lot of love from all over. I had never thought that the film would click in such a big way. Today so many youngsters almost swear by Liquid. This is the reason why in my second movie, it was very important for me to change the look and persona because otherwise people tend to look at you in a very clichéd way. I wanted to show the other side of me as an actor and could see that the character in ‘Chashme Baddoor‘ was fitting in well.
So how much ‘kameena’ is Divyendu in the film after all?
(Laughs) Well, he is a sweet ‘kameena’ who brings in a lot of ‘kameenapanti’. As a matter of fact, I and Siddharth are both ‘kameena’ and it is because of us that there is a turnaround in the lives of Ali (Zafar) and Taapsee (Pannu). We are the backbone of the film. If our chemistry works, then the film works!
Another actor who should add on to the film working is Rishi Kapoor. Considering the fact that he is the senior-most of the lot, you must have been conscious of his presence.
Yes I was. In fact I remember shooting first day in Goa where I had a scene with him. It took me 15-20 minutes just to sink in the fact that I was standing next to him. I realised that koyi bhi cheez aise hi badhi nahi hoti hai; there is a reason behind it all. This is why he is in the industry for so many years. He met me so nicely and was very supportive. It was so heartening that he knew about my film Pyaar Ka Punchnama. He told me that he liked my acting there and that I am a realistic actor. Isse zyaada aur kya chahiye sunne ke liye?
