Are Varun Dhawan- Alia Bhatt the new-age Shah Rukh Khan- Kajol? The 'Kalank' star answersApril 10 (AZINS) Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan made their Bollywood debut with Karan Johar's 'Student Of The Year' in 2012. In all these years, Varia - as their fans like to call them - have become the most sought after jodi in Bollywood. Individually also while Varun Dhawan hasn’t delivered a single flop as of yet, Alia Bhatt too has proved her mettle playing diverse roles in movies like 'Highway', 'Dear Zindagi' and 'Raazi'.

After having done three films together -- that includes 'Student Of The Year', 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania', and 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania' -- Alia and Varun are all set to star in yet another Dharma Productions' movie 'Kalank'. Their on and off screen chemistry and constant nok-jhoks have inspired many comparisions to '90s hit jodi - Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

However during a recent media interaction, when asked to comment on the same, Varun said, "People should chill out a little bit. I think it's too big a comparision, too soon. I mean I have grown up watching them. Let me and her (Alia Bhatt) do it in a new way, in our way. We are definitely a jodi. I'm not saying no. We are definitely a good, iconic reel jodi."

Interestingly, the multi-starrer ambitious period drama 'Kalank' that is slated to hit the theatres in April, was originally supposed to be directed by Karan Johar and feature Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Kajol and Rani Mukerji. KJo had revealed in his book 'An Unsuitable Boy' that Kalank was conceptualised 15 years ago.

While Varun is eternally grateful for the role of 'Zafar', he doesn't feel he has necessarily stepped into SRK's shoes with 'Kalank'.

Varun says, "No, I don't think we have stepped into anyone's shoes. Because, that film never got made. And honestly, that film was a little different from what we are doing. 15 years have passed. So obviously, you could take lot more liberties. Today, the technology is better. Lot of things have changed, today. Things have changed with the characters also...Today the kind of technology and VFX we have, the way our Box Office has gone for Alia and me and so many other cast members coming together - we can afford this budget. It is, atleast in my career, only possible now. I don't think I could have done such an expensive film a couple of years back."

Directed by Abhishek Varman, 'Kalank' is a love story set in the 1940s India. The film is set to release on April 17, 2019.