Don't look at the West for heroes, says Varun Dhawan

Mumbai: Actor Varun Dhawan says that it is high time Indians stop looking at the West for heroes as we there are a number of legends within their own country.

Varun was here at the launch of author Amish's book "Suheldev and The Battle of Bahraich", based on the story of Raja Suheldev, a legendary but forgotten hero and an unforgettable battle which kept the Turks at bay for almost 170 years. 

"It's the time when we should celebrate our Indian heroes and not look at the West to look up to heroes. Around 20 to 25 per cent of our population is made up of tribes and castes and that's not really been represented in books or our literature as much or in films for that matter," said Varun in a statement to IANS.

"Amish is doing a great job by actually representing it. He is doing a better job than politicians by writing about a hero. When you read the book and when you see the landscape of how he describes the world, your imaginations just run wild," added the "Main Tera Hero" actor.

Amish's popular novel "The Immortals of Meluha" is being adapted for the big screen. Filmmaker Karan Johar has obtained the rights for an adaption of the popular book. The English rights of the same have gone to an undisclosed American producer.

If "Suheldev and The Battle of Bahraich" is adapted into a film, Varun says he would want to be a part of it. 

"I thought when can a movie be made out of this. Can I be a part of it or will I be very short for it? I was very fascinated with the backdrop of the book. It tells the story of a hero," he said. 

Asked whose life would he want to play out in a film if given a chance, Varun said: "Honestly when someone offers me to do a biography, I get scared. I don't want to do it most of the times because I feel all the fictional characters I am playing are like biographies but only to me.

"If I had to do a biography on someone, it would be on my father's life. Sometime in the future, I would like to enact his young and old days. Probably till the time he had me," said Varun.

"Suheldev and The Battle of Bahraich" will release on July 23.