Almost a decade ago, Karan Johar picked up another star kid to make a film about young students and their complicated college lives. At that time, everyone had their eyes on the prominent filmmaker, David Dhawan’s son — Varun Dhawan — and his performance. The young kid essayed the role of a rich brat in Student of the Year (2012), and with his stellar acting, he established the fact that he’s here to stay. He continued to give hit movies and became a bankable star in no time. Let’s mark Varun Dhawan’s birthday (April 24) with a look back at his best movies.
Not many know that Student of the Year was not Dhawan’s introduction to movies. Belonging to a family of filmmakers, it was natural for him to be around set all the time. His first stint in the movies was as an assistant director to Karan Johar in My Name Is Khan (2010). SOTY, however, brought him into the limelight as a promising actor and he stood the test of time and starred in 11 consecutive box-office successes between 2012 and 2018. Some of the best Varun Dhawan movies include titles like Badlapur, October, Humpty Sharma Ki Dhulania, Sui Dhaaga, JugJugg Jeeyo and more.
Being one of the top actors in B-Town, Varun Dhawan is also one of India’s highest-paid actors. He has often been featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2014. And now, he’s busy working on a grand project with Raj & DK. He will also be seen as the lead in Amazon Prime Video’s Hindi version of Citadel.
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10 Varun Dhawan movies that are worth re-watching
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Directed by: Sriram Raghavan
Other cast members: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, with Huma Qureshi, Yami Gautam, Vinay Pathak, Kumud Mishra, Divya Dutta, Radhika Apte
Release date: 20 February, 2015
Synopsis: A man named Raghu avenges the death of his wife and son, who were killed during a bank robbery, by going after the criminals who were involved in the heist. The movie is a gritty, intense revenge drama that showcases Varun Dhawan’s acting range.
More about the film: Badlapur was a commercial success with a box office collection of approximately INR 81.3 crore (US $10 million) worldwide.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
Directed by: Shashank Khaitan
Other cast members: Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Shukla, Ashutosh Rana
Release date: 11 July, 2014
Synopsis: In this romantic comedy, Varun plays a carefree and fun-loving boy named Humpty, who falls in love with a girl named Kavya. The catch? Kavya is engaged to someone else, and Humpty has to win her over before it’s too late.
More about the film: A quasi-sequel titled Badrinath Ki Dulhania was released in 2017.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
Directed by: Shoojit Sircar
Other cast members: Banita Sandhu, Gitanjali Rao
Release date: 13 April, 2018
Synopsis: Varun plays the role of Dan, a hotel management trainee, who forms a deep bond with a comatose patient named Shiuli. The movie is a poignant drama that explores the themes of love, loss, and grief.
More about the film: Upon its release, the filmmakers were accused of plagiarising Aarti – The Unknown Love Story, a Marathi film directed by Sarika Mene.
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Directed by: David Dhawan
Other cast members: Nargis Fakhri, Ileana D’Cruz
Release date: 4 April, 2014
Synopsis: This comedy movie follows the misadventures of a mischievous boy named Seenu, who falls in love with a girl named Sunaina. However, things get complicated when another girl, Ayesha, enters the picture, leading to a love triangle.
More about the film: Main Tera Hero is a remake of the 2011 Telugu film Kandireega.
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Directed by: David Dhawan
Other cast members: Jacqueline Fernandez, Taapsee Pannu
Release date: 29 September, 2017
Synopsis: This action-comedy is a reboot of the 1997 movie Judwaa and features Varun in a double role, playing twin brothers Raja and Prem. The movie follows their adventures as they navigate their way through a dangerous world of gangsters and criminals.
More about the film: Judwaa 2 was a reboot of the 1997 film Judwaa, which itself is a remake of the Telugu film Hello Brother
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Directed by: Rohit Shetty
Other cast members: Kajol, Shah Rukh Khan, Kriti Sanon, Vinod Khanna, Boman Irani, Kabir Bedi, Johnny Lever
Release date: 18 December, 2015
Synopsis: In this romantic action-comedy, Varun plays the role of Veer, who falls in love with a girl named Ishita. However, their love story is complicated by the fact that their families are feuding, leading to a series of misunderstandings and conflicts.
More about the film: It became the thirteenth highest-grossing Indian film overseas and earned over INR 376 crore (US$58.61 million) worldwide, becoming the 31st highest-grossing Indian film of all time.
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Directed by: Sharat Katariya
Other cast members: Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav, Yamini Das
Release date: 28 September, 2018
Synopsis: Varun plays the role of Mauji, a tailor who dreams of starting his own business. Along with his wife Mamta, played by Anushka Sharma, he sets out to create a successful clothing brand and overcome the obstacles that come their way.
More about the film: The film found a place as an official entry, in the competition category, at the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF).
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Directed by: Remo D’Souza
Other cast members: Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva
Release date: 19 June, 2015
Synopsis: This drama follows the journey of a dance group called the “Mumbai Stunners,” as they prepare to compete in an international dance competition in Las Vegas. Varun plays the role of Suresh, one of the members of the group.
More about the film: The decommissioned warship INS Vikrant was featured as a backdrop behind the dancers’ practice area during the first half of the film.
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Directed by: Karan Johar
Other cast members: Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt
Release date: 19 October, 2012
Synopsis: This coming-of-age romantic drama marked Varun’s debut in Bollywood and follows the lives of three friends named Abhimanyu, Shanaya, and Rohan, as they navigate their way through college and deal with love, jealousy, and competition.
More about the film: A standalone sequel titled Student of the Year 2, directed by Punit Malhotra, was released in 2019, starring Tiger Shroff alongside debutantes Tara Sutaria and Ananya Pandey.
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Directed by: Abhishek Varman
Other cast members: Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt
Release date: 17 April, 2019
Synopsis: Set in the pre-independence era of India, this period drama tells the story of a wealthy family living in a town called Husnabad. Varun plays the role of Zafar, a blacksmith who falls in love with a woman named Roop, played by Alia Bhatt. The movie explores the themes of love, betrayal, and sacrifice.
More about the film: Kalank marked the first film distributed by Fox Star Studios following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
