Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor are gearing up for the release of their film 'Baawaal' on Amazon Prime Video 

The actors talk to Bombay Times about their upcoming Nitesh Tiwari directorial
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; July 19, 2023)

Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor teamed up for the first time on screen for Bawaal, which is releasing on Amazon Prime Video this Friday, July 21. The film focuses on their characters’ troubled relationship with references to World War II. The latter assures that while the trailer might look complex, it is quite a simple film with a unique and relatable storyline.

The duo talks to Bombay Times about their dream coming true with finally getting to work with Nitesh Tiwari and why Bawaal is meant for an OTT release.

The premise of Bawaal, where a newly-wed couple go on a honeymoon only to face trouble in their relationship, and then, references of World War II apparently used as a metaphor – sounds like a complex love story. Is this what attracted you both to the story?
Janhvi: Though the trailer might look complex, and maybe emotionally it is too, the film is quite simple, relatable, and has a relevant thought. It was the simplicity of this film that drew me to this project. Also, it was a big deal to get to work with Nitesh Tiwari. When you have a good thought and a good story on paper, then half the battle is won.
Varun: Nitesh Tiwari is one of those rare, original writer-directors in our country. He’s not borrowing from anyone or any cinema. So, whatever he does is pretty much original, and it is always great to be part of some original piece of work. The film is quite simple, but the way the trailer has been cut is to keep people intrigued. It is Nitesh sir’s choice, and he doesn’t want to let the audience know what the film is all about till they watch it. Overall, it is about image, perception... it is about how we live our lives today trying to please others. A Nitesh Tiwari film is, of course, a no-brainer to say yes to.

The film conveys a message – that every love story has its own war. In real life, do you resonate with that thought when it comes to your own relationships?
Varun: I do resonate with the thought. Love does face a lot of trials and tribulations, be it before you are falling in love or after you have fallen in love. On one hand, there’s this thing about being in love, and on the other hand, it’s about staying in love and trying to make your love story work. It is easy to break away from a relationship than to be in one forever. You have to fight the world and fight the odds for love to last. Like, Ajju and Nisha’s (their characters in the film) love story is pretty unique and will resonate with a lot of people who are just married or about to get married.
Janhvi: I am sure every relationship comes with its own history and baggage. Even with your friends... you go through a period of having a fight and not talking for a couple of months. When you start missing the person, is when you realize that you are being silly, and you come back together even stronger. When we lost mom (Sridevi) our whole family dynamics changed. It took us a while, in fact, we are still working on it, to find out what this new family dynamic meant. We went through something that was so catastrophic that we were all at war with ourselves and then we found a way back to each other, trying to understand what our individual relationships meant while dealing with the loss.

The film was meant for a theatrical release and is now releasing on Amazon Prime Video. How did you react to the sudden change of plans?
Varun: This film has the potential to reach a global audience, which not all films have. Once the film was ready, we felt that this could be our chance to reach out to a bigger audience. Amazon Prime Video have been great partners as they have really pushed the film to achieve that global reach. We are releasing in 200 countries (and territories).