Veteran Indian director David Dhawan revealed the meaning behind his name amid discussions leading up to his new film with his son, actor Varun Dhawan. The discussion took place during the David Dhawan Film Festival, which took place from May 22 to 25 across 25 cities in India, in honour of the director.
The event celebrated Dhawan’s achievements as he sat down to discuss his journey and the release of his upcoming film Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai starring Varun in the lead role.
According to Indian media reports, Varun interviewed his father himself, asking him to explain the meaning behind the name, which many people in the industry find confusing. “Because your name is David, a lot of my friends think that my parents are Christian. I used to always wonder why my father’s name is David.”
He added, “Please tell everyone where you were born and why your over-the-top Punjabi parents call you David.”
David smiled and replied, “They didn’t call me David. There’s a history to it. I was born in Agartala. I was there with my parents, my brothers Anil and Ashok. My father’s elder brother, based in Kolkata, didn’t have a child so I was given to them.”
Read: Varun Dhawan reportedly in talks for Hollywood debut
He added that when he lived with his aunt and uncle in Kolkata, a Jewish family resided in the neighbourhood. “I used to hang out in their house. Their food was quite novel. Then my name became David. It became my pet name. My actual name is Rajinder Dhawan.”
The director explained that he decided to keep the name when beginning his education. “During my admission in FTII (Film Institute of India) my father told me, ‘You’ll be studying in the institute. You’ll graduate and then start working. You keep your name as David’. Accordingly, I changed my name.”
Dhawan also spoke about the confusion he experienced growing up regarding who his real parents were. Speaking about his aunt, who raised him as her son, he said, “I thought she was my mother. Later, I shifted back to my parents, I don’t remember if I knew that they were my real parents or not.”Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneLife And Style DeskRead More