Diljit Dosanjh had almost said no to Good Newwz because he thought its producer Karan Johar was not serious about casting him in the movie.
It all started when Udta Punjab arrived in cinemas. The film marked Diljit's acting debut in Bollywood and garnered him much appreciation. Just like the audience, Karan, too, was impressed by Diljit's performance, and hence, decided to call him at Dharma to discuss a movie.
"We both spoke twice regarding that project, but I was still not cast in the film. Then I thought, 'maybe they just call people randomly and don't really offer them any work.' So when they called me again (for Good Newwz), I simply went with no expectations. I didn't even want to do this movie. But turned out they were seriously considering me for the part this time," Diljit said.
"When I got the call from Karan that I've been finalised for the part, I told him, 'let it be, you did this last time, too.' Then my manager convinced me that I should go and meet Karan once. So when we came to Mumbai, they handed over the script to me. And, I realised that they were serious about it. I eventually liked my role, and then I got to know that Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor were also part of the film, so I thought it was a good opportunity," the actor added.
Diljit, who has cultivated a huge fan base for himself in Bollywood, is paired opposite Kiara Advani in Good Newwz, which is a candid comedic drama that strips back the curtain on what it's like for couples trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Diljit may be getting a string of projects in Bollywood but he says his first priority will always be his singing career, which he calls his main source of livelihood.
"I think it's a huge thing for me that the industry people are taking me seriously as an actor because I was always a singer. The acting gigs happened accidentally. I remember many people would tell me to do a biopic and then suddenly Soorma happened. I feel I don't even deserve all this, neither do I plan or strategise these things. I'm a very secure person, and honestly, I don't care much because I have a successful singing career.
"I earn my bread and butter through my singing gigs only which is why I never miss any opportunity on that front. I don't earn much in Bollywood. And honestly, that image doesn't even help me much in terms of getting gigs. People will only come to see you in concerts if your songs are hit and you are a good performer. They don't care whether you're a big film star or not," Diljit added.
Diljit was last seen in Rohit Jugraj Chauhan's comedy Arjun Patiala, which failed to perform at the box office, and he says he always knew that the film was not going in the right direction.
"I really liked the script of Arjun Patiala but it was not a well-made film. Honestly, I feel no film works unless it's a well-made film. The audience is not stupid to not figure it out. It doesn't matter whether it's a small film or a big-budget film, if it's not a well-made film it will never pick at the box office. I already knew that Arjun Patiala was not going to work but then you can't help it because once you get attached to a project then you'll have to stick to it till the end," he said.
Good Newwz, directed by Raj Mehta, is scheduled to release on December 27.
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