David Dhawan EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker reveals why he never worked with Shah Rukh Khan: ‘I think at one time we were…’

Director David Dhawan recently appeared for an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, where the filmmaker revealed details about never working alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

By Goutham S

Published on Apr 21, 2026 | 07:55 PM IST | 1.1M

David Dhawan EXCLUSIVE (PC: Pinkvilla)

Director David Dhawan is all set to return to the big screen with a new romantic comedy titled Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, starring his son Varun Dhawan in the lead. Ahead of the film’s release on May 22, 2026, the filmmaker was roped in for an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla.

During the conversation, the veteran director addressed whether he had ever discussed a collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan, given that he had worked with stars like Salman Khan and Govinda.

Speaking with Pinkvilla, David Dhawan said, “Aisi baat nahi hain (It isn’t like that). I think at one time we were planning to do something together. But I was always busy. Always mere paas do pictures floor mein rahti thi (I always had two films going on floors at that time). So, it was very difficult to you know. But definitely at one stage it was there.”

Watch the interview feat. David Dhawan

The filmmaker added, “Par mere kabhi bhi aisa nahi hain ke main yeh actor ke saath work karunga. Maine jaise Govinda ke saath kiya, Salman ke saath kiya, Sanjay…wohi ho gaya tha hisab kitab.

(But it’s never been the case that I would only work with a specific actor. As I worked with Govinda, Salman, and Sanjay (Dutt), it just worked out that way.)

More about Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai

Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is an upcoming romantic comedy-drama starring Varun Dhawan. The film’s first-look glimpse was recently unveiled, showcasing an intriguing “double trouble” love story. The video features two babies with different mothers discussing how their fathers share the same name and birthday, leading them to wonder if they are talking about the same person.

Along with Pooja Hegde and Mrunal Thakur as co-leads, the film also stars Mouni Roy, Rohit Saraf, Jimmy Shergill, Chunky Panday, Maniesh Paul, Rajesh Kumar, and others in key roles. The movie is slated to release in theatres on May 22, 2026.

Previously, David Dhawan helmed Coolie No. 1 (2020), starring Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan. It was a remake of his own 1995 film Coolie No. 1, which itself was a remake of the 1993 Tamil film Sinna Mapplai.

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