David Dhawan’s Guide to Laughter

WHO’S Bollywood’s absolute comedy king? It’s got to be David Dhawan and not too many people will disagree with that. The man ...

WHO’S Bollywood’s absolute comedy king? It’s got to be David Dhawan and not too many people will disagree with that. The man who gave us rib-ticklers like Raja Babu, Hero No 1, Judwaa and Biwi No 1 is now ready with Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. This Salman Khan-Priyanka Chopra-Akshay Kumar love triangle appears to be treading the path of Dhawan’s earlier comic blockbusters. It has laughs galore, intense romantic moments and a shirtless Salman as a lifeguard. But what does it take to make DD laugh?

Comic Actor
These days, comedy has become very easy. Everyone is doing it. But I still think Govinda is the best. Of course, guys like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt are also very good, but Chi Chi (Govinda) is something else. In Hollywood, I like Jim Carrey but sometimes he overdoes it with too many facial expressions. Obviously, it goes without saying that Charlie Chaplin is the master of all comic acts.

The Art of Comedy
Comedy today has got to be absolutely natural for it to work. Deadpan comedy or situational comedy is what the audience wants. It’s all about timing and expressions. Audiences in India are waking up to the magic of multiplexes and those 200-300 seaters don’t want loud music or bullets ringing in their ears.

Story continues below this ad

My Faves
Right at the top of my list is Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. It’s one of the finest funny films ever made in India. I love almost everything that Mehmood bhaijaan did. Nobody could beat his sense of comic timing. I also love Hrishikesh Mukherjee films like Golmaal, Chupke Chupke, Bawarchi etc.

Marriage and Comedy
Marriage provides lots of scope for comic sequences. It also means greater identification. Most people are either married or are getting married, so the film has a better chance of working. The humour is very real in a marriage and everyone wants to know what makes other people’s marriages work.