Varun Dhawan’s name changed from Sultan to Zafar in Kalank – here’s why

With the trailer release date of Kalank fast approaching, Varun Dhawan is barely able to contain his excitement. And for good reason too. Those who’ve had a sneak-peek of the rushes can’t stop raving about the actor and his performance in it. Calling it his best so far, the insiders insist that there’s plenty for Varun’s fans to look forward to. Well, we won’t be surprised to see the actor light up the screen especially with his fave co-star Alia Bhatt, with whom he shares a great chemistry on screen. In fact, the actor who is currently busy shooting for Remo D’Souza’s Street Dancer 3D will even fly down from London just for a day to attend the trailer launch (March 12).

As for his role, we had earlier revealed how Varun’s name in the film was inspired by his favourite star Salman Khan. So, Varun had been named Sultan in Kalank. However, we have learnt that to avoid sharing his screen name with Salman, who has become synonymous with Sultan, Varun’s name has been changed from Sultan to Zafar. An insider says, “Varun loves the name, but he felt that there’s only one Sultan in the industry and that’s Salman Khan. He has way too much respect for Salman to be called by the same name. So, he suggested that they change his name to Zafar. And that’s what the makers did.”

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Karan Johar, the period-drama film is slated to release on April 19. It has been directed by Abhishek Verman. Besides, the hit pair of Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, the film also stars yesteryear hit pair Madhuri Dixit Nene who is reuniting on screen with Sanjay Dutt. These two pairs apart, there’s also Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur. The film’s trailer is much awaited and we are equally excited to catch a glimpse of Kalank. What about you? Do let us know in the comments section below. Stay tuned to CineBlitz for more Bollywood updates and latest news.