MUMBAI: For some time now, David Dhawan has been the uncrowned king of comedy in Bollywood, ticking the funny bones of a zillion viewers with hits like Judwaa, Deewana Mastana and the more recent Partner.

The filmmaker shares the joy he derives from his work, and reveals more than a few secrets to Kabir Bedi on Director’s Cut 17 February at 8:00 pm, on glamour and entertainment channel Zoom.

“My films are like a holiday on screen — bright, with no violence,” Dhawan says. He speaks of the great rapport he shares with the cast and crew of every film he makes. From Bollywood ‘baaps’ like Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan to damsels like Karisma Kapoor, he tells viewers how he is a like a father to them. He also discusses the many rehearsals with actors that go into perfecting the final product.

Speaking about Govinda, whom he thinks of as a brother, Dhawan shares stories about his working relationships with co-stars as well as their personal attributes. Salman is, according to him, the naughtiest comic actor. Also, unlike most other celebrities, Dhawan is open about his past. He tells us the story behind his real name, Rajendra, and how it was changed to David by a neighbour.

He also goes back in time to the start of his journey in Bollywood as an editor in the television industry. From that point, it was an interesting climb to box-office success. According to Dhawan, characters in his films are inspired by real life characters. Interestingly, he says infidelity is a common theme in most of his films.