‘ABCD2': When Varun Dhawan got real

Mumbai, June 19 (UNI) In veteran choreographer Remo D'Souza's 'ABCD2' which turns 10 today, Varun Dhawan played a character called Suresh who is based on a real person called Suresh, a dancer who lives in Nala Sopara. Interestingly, the real Suresh also has a role in the Remo D'Souza directed film.
The story is based on the lives of four boys who are part of a dance institute called Fictitious Dance Academy.
Recalling the film, Remo said 'I thought I had exhausted my appetite for dance films when I made 'ABCD'. But then I came across the real-life story of these boys from Nala Sopara who went all the way to Las Vegas and won a dance show there. I knew I had to tell their story. So, these four boys Pavan, Rohit, Vernon and Suresh are part of the story and yes, Varun plays Suresh.'
According to Remo, Varun's dancing skills made him a prime choice for the film.
'I needed someone who could dance, and I mean really dance. I also needed a very good actor since the character's journey is not only about dancing but also his aspirations and dreams.
'Varun is both a dancer and an actor. I am convinced he will bring Suresh to life. He better do it right, since the real Suresh is also in the film,' he said.
The film owes its resplendent aura to the way the characters move to the rhythm of life. Dance is not simply an art or a way of life. It's a life-long commitment to excellence.
This is something which Remo's film understood, and was able capture the passion, sweat, tears and even the blood, that goes into making dance reality shows a reality.
To their credit neither Varun nor Shraddha Kapoor attempt to seem larger than the script. What we get are acres of competitive acrimony, the heartache of winning and losing in full camera view and the agony of knowing that those four minutes on the stage can make or break your life, and the ecstasy of winning against all odds. Such are the dreams that navigate Remo's airy plots to its heart-in-the-foot climactic dance.
But it is Remo's choreography, which is the real star of the show.
'ABCD 2' is a far slicker, and sexier avatar of its 2013 predecessor, and it is filled with moments where the very force of life is expressed and asserted through dance.
When the film's fallen hero, caught duplicating international dance moves, retreats to dance alone to a beat that fastens him to his dead mother's heartbeat, you are truly in for a treat.
(The writer is a veteran film journalist. The views expressed are personal)
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