Dhairya Karwa: We’re conditioned by conventional love stories

Dhairya Karwa

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.

Dhairya Karwa with the cast in a still from Gehraiyaan

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."