India, May 25 -- In the 90s, David Dhawan was one of the most sought-after and successful filmmakers in Hindi cinema. He gave some of the biggest comedy hits in the industry in that decade, carrying it forward to the 2000s as well. But after that came a period of lull, during which many of his films did not perform well at the box office. In a recent conversation, the veteran filmmaker said that the period forced him to opt out of working with stars and bank on newcomers.

After the success of Partner in 2007, David directed Do Knot Disturb and Rascals, both of which were commercially unsuccessful. The director said he faced rejection from actors at this stage in his career. On Saturday, the 74-year-old interacted with his son, actor Varu...