Actor Chunky Pandey has shared a vivid behind-the-scenes memory of filmmaker David Dhawan, recalling how the director's on-set excitement would sometimes carry him physically into the camera frame — forcing crew members to physically restrain him during takes. The anecdote emerged during an upcoming episode of Sony Entertainment Television's India's Best Dancer Season 5.

The On-Set Anecdote

Chunky described an era of filmmaking before monitors and modern technology, when directors had to rely entirely on instinct and proximity to the action. 'Ek cheez main bataun, jab woh shoot karte hain na, hamare zamaane mein monitor yeh sab technology nahi thi. Toh director 'Start, sound, camera, action!' action mein logon ko David ko pakadna padta tha because woh almost frame mein aa jaate the jab shots chalu the, because woh itne khud excited ho jaate the scene ke saath. I think he is one of the best directors I have ever worked with. Aur woh khud pehle editor the na, toh unki editing shooting ke waqt hi ho jaati thi,' Chunky said.

In translation: crew members had to hold David Dhawan back after the 'action' call because he would nearly step into frame, so consumed was he by the energy of the scene. Chunky attributed this partly to Dhawan's background — the filmmaker was an editor before he turned director, meaning his instinct to cut and compose was already running in his head while the camera rolled.

Karisma Kapoor Adds Her Perspective

Actress Karisma Kapoor, who collaborated extensively with David Dhawan through the 1990s, echoed the sentiment on the same episode. 'Unke dimaag mein chalta tha unka scene, and comedy hoti hai toh he is editing, that's why he is so good in comedy also,' she said — noting that Dhawan would mentally edit a comedy sequence even as it was being filmed, which explains the precision of his comic timing.

A Decades-Long Creative Partnership

Chunky Pandey and David Dhawan have shared a professional association spanning nearly three decades. Their collaborations include Aankhen (1993), which also featured Govinda, and Rascals (2011). Most recently, Chunky appeared in Dhawan's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, which the director has stated will be his final film behind the camera.

David Dhawan's partnership with Govinda and Karisma Kapoor produced some of the most commercially successful Hindi comedies of the decade, including Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1, Saajan Chale Sasural, Hero No. 1, and Haseena Maan Jaayegi.

David Dhawan's Final Film

Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai stars Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, and Pooja Hegde. David Dhawan has reportedly confirmed that the film marks his farewell to direction — a significant moment for a filmmaker whose name became synonymous with mainstream Hindi comedy over four decades. As the episode of India's Best Dancer Season 5 airs, it is likely to rekindle nostalgia for an era of Hindi cinema defined by Dhawan's kinetic, editor-first approach to storytelling.