My father set the standard of romance very high, says Vardhan Puri

After having been brought up in a joint family and has been trained in acting by Pandit Satyadev Dubey and his grandfather late Amrish Puri the youjng and dynamic Vardhan Puri went onto work with Yash Raj Films as Assistant Director in films like lsquoIshaqzaadersquo lsquoDaawat E Ishqrsquo and lsquoShuddh Desi Romancersquo This was followed by his grand Bollywood debut with lsquoYeh Saali Aashiquirsquo which paved the way for many other films in his kittyMid Day Online caught up with Vardhan Puri for an exclusive interview on the occasion of lsquoValentinersquos DayrsquoWhen was the first time you realized understood the significance importance of Valentinersquos DayI think the first time I realized the importance of Valentinersquos Day was when I was a childhellip maybe in the first grade My father gave a handwritten card with flowers to my mother and she was delighted So I remember that emotion and him taking her out on a date followed by a drive that same night That is my first memory of Valentinersquos Day My father set the standard of romance very highAlso ReadVardhan Puri Follow what my grandfather would have doneWho was your first Valentine Please be honesthellip Honesty appreciatedhellipThe story of my first Valentine is actually a very twisted one There was this girl I really liked who used to play tennis with me at a nearby club I liked her and she liked me back At least thatrsquos what Irsquod like to believe On Valentinersquos Day I went to her and gave her a flower which had fallen by the pool She took it and ran away coyly Sohellip technically she is my first valentine Her name was Priyanka and she was a very beautiful girlDo you think that the concept of Valentinersquos Day has been misinterpretedI think India is more open to the idea of Valentinersquos Day today In our country it is really about celebrating love every day but now we have embraced Valentinersquos Day with open arms Of course it is more prevalent in the cities But if you go into the interiors no one really knows about it I think cinema has increased the reach of this day and today it is celebrated like any other special day just as it should beAlso ReadValentines Day 2023 The whole essence of Valentines Day has gone hithertither says Sneha WaghIs Valentines Day only about romance and love Or can that day be celebrated for friendship as wellOf course it can be celebrated for friendship as well I wish all my close friends on Valentinersquos Day and sometimes I even send them flowers and chocolates So Valentinersquos Day is just an excuse to celebrate love of every varietyWhich is the best book on Valentinersquos day that you have readI havenrsquot really read a book based on Valentinersquos Day but I really feel like lsquoA Fault In Our Starsrsquo pretty much talks about how love should be and how unconditional love is invincible It is something I go back to very often as it is a beautifully emotional bookCan you recall your most memorable Valentinersquos DayMy most memorable Valentinersquos Day would have to be when I was in the 11th grade I had an experience like no other I bought a very special person some really special gifts and wrote a card It was actually the first time I was really experiencing Valentinersquos Day It just felt good to put in that kind of effort for someone I really loved and admired So I remember that day very fondlyWhat type of a Valentine are you CardRoses types romantic poems types or the candle light dinner types Or is there anything besides theseI think flowers are cute and handwritten cards and letters are even cuter I like writing things for special people Even though I am not a professional singer sometimes I like to hum a song I remember back in the day when I used to make a lot of short films I made one for someone I really liked on Valentinersquos Day She found it really special So itrsquos safe to say I am the kind of person who makes movies for the people I loveHas anyone rejected your Valentinersquos Day proposal or have you rejected any Valentinersquos Day proposalI have been very lucky as no one has ever rejected my Valentinersquos Day proposal And I havenrsquot rejected anyone either Love is always welcomeIf you had to choose a Bollywood celebrity as your Valentine whom would you choose and whyThatrsquos a tough one I would love to choose the eternal Madhuri Dixit of the lsquoHum Aapke Hain Kaunrsquo days I think she is the most ethereal most beautiful and most charming face wersquove had and what a beautiful personality My family and I have always been huge Madhuri Dixit admirersIf you had to choose a Hollywood celebrity as your Valentine whom would you choose and whyI think Scarlett Johansson would be very cool to go out with on a date Not only is she so talented and beautiful she is also very intelligent It would be amazing to discuss cinema and the arts with herDo you have any special plans for this yearrsquos Valentines DayOf course I do have some amazing plans for this Valentinersquos Day I am going to spend it with my niece Devika She is 9 months old and she is the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world So I am going to hold her tiny hand and feed her khichdi and just have the best time with herItrsquos a given that you will definitely have many admirers In that case have you ever received any card or gift from a secret admirer If yes what was it and what was your reaction to itYes in fact only yesterdayhellip I received two beautiful bouquets of flowers which are actually right in front of me smiles I have no idea where they came from They just have two cards which say ldquoVardhan sir I love yourdquo on each of the bouquets and I find it very motivating as an artist Itrsquos very flattering humbling and a beautiful feeling to know that there are people who love you so much There are people whose lives you impact in ways you donrsquot even realizeIn your opinion is Valentines Day the most romantic day of the yearI think Valentinersquos Day is a romantic day but the most romantic day of the year for me is my birthday because I get so much attention on that day especially from the ladies winksWhatrsquos your idea of a perfect Valentines Day dateMy idea of a perfect Valentinersquos date is a nice swim followed by a lovely candlelit Japanese meal It should be followed by a movie and popcorn night And then end the night with a nice latenight drive to Mount Mary So thatrsquos my idea of a lovely romantic eveningValentinersquos Day is about love and Cupid Have you ever played Cupid in anyonersquos life Or has anyone played Cupid in your lifeOf course I have played cupid in many of my friendsrsquos lives and most of them are now married Some of them have babies and some of them are about to have theirs In my life once someone played cupid for me but I realized itrsquos better to get to know people really well before you start dating them So donrsquot go by anyone elsersquos opinion Be the master of your own destiny First you should invest time and effort into getting to know someone because everyonersquos perspective about everyone else is different