Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 3, 2022)

“I guess I have just been lucky,” says Dhairya Karwa, who bagged an envious part in the upcoming film Gehraiyaan. Four years ago, when he arrived in Mumbai from Delhi, he wanted to be a model. However, the city and his love for Bollywood made him pursue a career in films instead. He calls himself lucky because, unlike many other strugglers, Dhairya, since the time he began in 2016, kept getting interesting roles in reputed projects that helped him learn as an actor and get noticed by filmmakers. His upcoming film Gehraiyaan, which releases on Amazon Prime Video on February 11, features him along with Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday.

“I was busy cracking exams to head abroad to study in a business school. People used to ask why wasn’t I trying my hand at modelling,” he says, adding, “Once in Mumbai, the kind of welcome I got made me chase a career in acting. I am happy to have scored roles in films like Uri: The Surgical Strike, '83, which was followed by the web show, Made In Heaven. ”

Dhairya says, “Then, when I was offered Gehraiyaan, it felt like a dream come true. It’s like this big Karan Johar project, getting an opportunity to act opposite Deepika, a chance to work with actors like Siddhant and Ananya and getting to learn under a director like Shakun Batra… it’s like every actor’s dream.”

He adds, “I am not a trained actor. I have learnt on the job. The experience and the time I spent on my initial projects prepared me for a film like Gehraiyaan. Now that I look back, the experience and the confidence I gained from my first two films was necessary for me to be the actor that I am today.”

Apart from his work experience, he is thankful to Karan and Deepika, who made him feel extremely comfortable on set. “When I met Karan for the project, he gave me the biggest and the warmest hug. He told me you are here, and you are here for a reason. You are good, now just enjoy it. Don’t take any pressure and keep doing what you are doing. His words were very reassuring and comforting. As for Deepika, I was just smitten by her. She is everything you would expect her to be and more. We know of her as this humongous star and a fabulous actor, yet she’s so simple and warm.”

Dhairya remembers meeting Deepika at the wrap-up party of '83, in which she played Kapil Dev’s (essayed by Ranveer Singh) wife and the former played Ravi Shastri’s part. He shares, “I remember at the party, people were busy clicking pictures with her. I didn’t do that. At one point, I saw she was all by herself. I mustered up the courage, went up to her and told her I am not going to click pictures with you because I am going to do a film with you. At that time, Gehraiyaan was not even being discussed. When I met her for the first time for this film, she was surprised that we indeed were doing a film together.”

Gehraiyaan is creating buzz for its beautifully shot, intimate sequences. Talking about it, Dhairya says, “The credit goes to Shakun, who’s the captain of the ship. For these scenes, we had an intimacy director on board. Intimacy is not a part of the film for a shock value, but because it is essential to the story. We dealt with intimacy with so much care and sensitivity when we performed these scenes. The set felt so safe and secure for us to express ourselves during these sequences.”

The young actor hopes that the film opens up more avenues for him. He says, “Surviving in Mumbai itself is a challenge and Bollywood is an altogether new field for me. Finding your feet can be challenging. But then everything comes with its own challenges. It is all about your outlook towards it. The nature of the business is that it is going to be disheartening for you as the rejections are always going to be more than the acceptance you receive. However, the rejections are never personal. You need to understand that you didn’t suit the part and hence you didn’t qualify for the project. That’s it. But at the end of the day, we are humans and have a heart. We tend to get affected, and at times, it does break you. Instead of crying over the opportunities that I missed, I celebrate the fact that I got to be a part of three fabulous films. That’s all that matters.”
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Teaming up with Deepika in Gehraiyaan, Dhairya discusses approaching director Shakun’s take on infidelity without judgment
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; February 3, 2022)

Landing a Dharma film is every upcoming actor’s dream. But for Dhairya Karwa, being part of a Shakun Batra film was a bigger high. The actor, who plays one of the leads in Gehraiyaan, says it was a joy to be directed by Batra so early on in his career. “I have been an admirer of his work. I remember watching Kapoor & Sons [2016]; it’s a film that hits you hard. Apart from being a bright mind, Shakun is also a warm person. Another sterling quality of Shakun is that he is open to ideas, and always considers your input. We all surrendered to him because we trusted his vision,” he says.

In the Amazon Prime Video offering, Batra teams up with Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Karwa to examine infidelity as he tells the story of two modern-day couples. True to his style, the director is more interested in observing the nuances of such relationships than in judging them. “We have been so conditioned by the conventional take on love stories. Here, it’s a take on modern-day adult relationships. We are not trying to judge anybody; instead, we are trying to look at things as they are. Some [viewing] from a societal lens may [deem] them [morally] bad characters. But we are merely observing relationships, not promoting [infidelity],” says the actor.

Karwa, who previously featured in 83 (2020) and Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019), heaps praise on co-star Padukone. “Someone in my position would think it would be intimidating [to work with her]. [But my fears vanished] after I met her. She is warm, considerate and immediately makes you feel comfortable.”