Shaadi No 1 is David's second release in six months, after the hit, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya. "I've returned to my patent entertainment genre. But I wouldn't like to go into it again. It's the last of my trademark entertainers. I had six stars to handle in Shaadi No 1, so it had to be a typical film. Not that there are many major stars besides Sanjay Dutt. But I had a great rapport with the cast. The new thing about this one is that I'm back with producer Vashu Bhagnani."
David denies any rift with Bhagnani. "In fact, he had asked me to direct Om Jai Jagadish, but I just didn't connect with the script. Vashu's passion for filmmaking remains undiminished. Other directors may have had problems with Vashu. Not me. If I did, why would I work with him for the fifth time when I have 15 producers at my doorstep? I dumped two producers to accommodate Shaadi No 1."
David seems to be well into Vashu-shastra. "He got me permission to shoot a song in France within two hours. A good producer is hard to come by. I hope for his sake Shaadi No 1 works. After seeing the film, he told me not to worry. Lekin worry to rahegi. I've been directing for two decades, and survived. Today, I'm competing with a whole new generation of filmmakers. That's because I'm not afraid of change. If you are not ready to move on, people will move you out. I'm ready to move on to a new level."
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He continues, "And why just me? All those who are successfully making comedies will have to keep changing their style. There was time when comedies didn't work. Now, they work better than romantic films. Now, everyone is doing a David Dhawan film. I was honest to the task of generating laughter, to my gurus like Manmohan Desai. I tell Manji's son that I am the true inheritor of the Manmohan Desai school of filmmaking. My most memorable day was when he visited me on the sets of Eena Meena Deeka, and offered me a film. It was a dream come true. What I learnt from Manji before he died has stayed with me."
And now David Dhawan is planning a sequel of sorts of the Manmohan Desai classic Amar Akbar Anthony. "It will not be a sequel. More like a modern interpretation. It'll be how Manji would make it if he did it today. I've finalised the producer -- a very big name. It'll have to be a big cast. The script will have to be revamped. But Anthony Gonzalves will remain unchanged. You can't change that!"
He adds, "Getting the dates of the topnotch actors is becoming a problem. So the solution is to bring two-three heroes together. The audience gets a feast. Yeh bhi hai woh bahi hai; the collection of stars looks nice on the posters. Even earlier, Amitji always worked with two heroes. In Sholay, he had Dharmendra with him. Even today, only leading men like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan have the one-hero clout."
Now David is on a Salman trip. "Salman is such a generous actor. Any newcomer who gets close to him finds a role in his film. If I was a newcomer, I'd want Salman for a friend. He helps without making a noise about it."
Priyadarshan's comedy Garam Masala is releasing with Shaadi No 1. "That film is also looking good. I want to see Garam Masala. I like the competition. It's very colourful. The multiplex theatres have made so much of a difference to the film business. Which one would I buy a ticket for? Garam Masala, of course. Because I don't have to pay to see my own film! I always stand at the door and watch my own films. I'm too tense to sit still. I stand at the door and evaluate people's reactions."
David is impatient to move on. "One thing is for sure. I'm changing my style of comedy after Shaadi No 1. Comedy has so many faces. I've just started exploring."
With his new venture, David hopes to 'take care' of Govinda's career. "He's a diamond that needs to be polished again. I know he'll be rocking from the first shot I take. I won't disappoint Govinda or our fans. His character will be very performance-oriented. The focus will be on Govinda and Salman's performances."