Dulquer Salmaan receives special pre-birthday gift from Karwaan director Akarsh Khurana

Dulquer Salmaan, who is all set to mark his Bollywood debut with Karwaan, has received a pre-birthday gift from director Akarsh Khurana.

Akarsh Khurana is gifting Dulquer the blue van that he travels in, with co-stars Irrfan Khan and Mithila Palkar on board, through the film.

While talking about the gift, Akarsh shared, "There are two reasons for gifting DQ this van. One, of course, is emotional. It was almost like an important character in the film and the two spent a lot of time together. Two, it's been through a lot of wear and tear and is all beat up now. It needs an automobile fanatic like DQ to give it a new lease of life."

Revealing why he chose this van in particular for the comedy-drama, Akarsh says it was for its shape and size. "It had to look like it could fit a dead body in the back. And it had to be practical to shoot in, with space for the camera and the team, along with being tough and comfy," he says, adding with a laugh that he himself is a big guy.

The filmmaker recalls that once, while they were shooting, Dulquer braked suddenly and he sprawled on the focus puller who in turn fell on the camera. "Sneha Taurani, the associate director, couldn't stop laughing," he flashbacks with a smile.

On another occasion, they were shooting within a campus in Ooty but since the roads were really steep, it was taking too long so they just drove out. "We knew production would panic because we were driving out with stars and without permission or security but we needed the shot. So, we switched off our phones and walkie-talkies and just rolled. The production guys went crazy but we got some great shots and it was a nice drive," Akarsh adds.

Also, while talking about Dulquer's love for cars, Akarsh shared. "He has a BMW M3, a Polo GT and a modified Triumph Bonneville in his garage, along with a BMW R1200 GS adventure tourer, a Porsche Panamera Turbo sports sedan, a Mini Cooper and an E46, BMWi8. The van will be another addition to his collection,".

Karwaan starring Irrfan and marking the debut of Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar revolves around three oddballs from different walks of life who are thrown together on a somewhat bizarre journey which helps them find normalcy in their lives

It is a road trip on which some crazy adventures take place, some lines are crossed, some bonds are forged, detours are made, experiences are shared and secrets are revealed.

An uneasy alliance is formed between three unlikely co-passengers on an eventful (and often hilarious) journey from Bangalore to Ooty to Kumarakom and finally to Kochi.

Produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP in association with Priti Rathi Gupta of 'Ishka films', Karwaan is directed by Akarsh Khurana and is slated for release on August 3.