Varun Dhawan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Varun Dhawan
Dhawan in 2025
Born	(1987-04-24) 24 April 1987 (age 38)
Alma mater	Nottingham Trent University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2012–present
Spouse(s)	Natasha Dalal ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	David Dhawan (father)
Relatives	Dhawan family
Awards	Full list
Signature

Varun Dhawan (born 24 April 1987) is a famous Indian actor. He mainly works in Hindi films. He is one of India's highest-paid actors. Forbes India has featured him on their Celebrity 100 list. Between 2012 and 2018, he starred in 11 movies that were very successful at the box office.

Varun is the son of film director David Dhawan. He studied business at the Nottingham Trent University. He started his career helping director Karan Johar with the film My Name Is Khan (2010). He then made his acting debut in 2012 in Johar's teen drama Student of the Year. He became very popular with lead roles in romantic comedies like Main Tera Hero (2014), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). He also starred in action comedies such as Dilwale (2015), Dishoom (2016), and Judwaa 2 (2017). Other popular films include the dance movie ABCD 2 (2015) and the drama Sui Dhaaga (2018).

Varun Dhawan also received praise for different kinds of roles. He played a man seeking revenge in the thriller Badlapur (2015). He also played a man dealing with loss in the drama October (2018). These roles were different from his usual fun characters. After these successes, some of his films faced challenges. However, his 2022 movies, Jugjugg Jeeyo and Bhediya, were well-liked.

Early Life and Education

Varun Dhawan was born on 24 April 1987. His father, David Dhawan, is a film director. His mother is Karuna Dhawan. His family is Punjabi Hindu. Varun has an older brother named Rohit, who is also a film director. His uncle, Anil, is an actor. Other family members in the film industry include fashion designer Manish Malhotra and directors Punit Malhotra and Kunal Kohli.

Varun finished his high school education at the H.R. College of Commerce and Economics. He earned a degree in business studies from the Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. Before becoming an actor, he worked as an assistant director. He helped Karan Johar with the film My Name Is Khan in 2010.

Acting Career

Starting Out and First Successes (2012–2014)

Varun Dhawan at the trailer launch of Student of the Year in 2012

Varun Dhawan started his acting career in 2012. He appeared in Karan Johar's teen film Student of the Year. He starred alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. Varun played Rohan Nanda, a rich businessman's son. His character competes with his girlfriend (Alia Bhatt) and best friend (Sidharth Malhotra) to win a school championship.

Film critic Taran Adarsh said Varun was "a talent one can't help but marvel at." CNN-IBN's Rajeev Masand noted that Varun "stands out with a confident, charming turn." He could handle both funny and emotional scenes easily. Student of the Year was a big hit, earning a lot of money worldwide.

Varun's next film was the romantic comedy Main Tera Hero (2014). This movie was a remake of a Telugu film. His father, David Dhawan, directed it. Varun played a playful character caught in a love triangle. Critics praised his comedic timing. The film was a commercial success.

After that, Varun played Rakesh in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. He was a flirty Punjabi boy who falls for an engaged woman. Alia Bhatt co-starred in this romantic comedy. The film was a tribute to the classic movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Critics liked his performance. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania became one of the top-grossing Indian films of that year.

Becoming a Popular Actor (2015–2018)

In 2015, Varun Dhawan starred in the crime thriller Badlapur. He played Raghu, a father who seeks revenge for his family's murder. Varun found this role challenging. He said it was a "terrifying" experience. Critics praised his acting range. He even received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor promoting ABCD 2 in 2015

Varun then appeared in the dance film ABCD 2 with Shraddha Kapoor. He played a real-life dancer named Suresh Mukund. Suresh won the 2012 World Hip Hop Dance Championship. The film earned a lot of money worldwide. This success showed Varun's growing popularity.

Later in 2015, Varun was in the action drama Dilwale. He starred with Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Kriti Sanon. He played Shah Rukh Khan's younger brother. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a huge commercial success. It became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films.

In 2016, Varun starred in the action comedy Dishoom. He played a new police officer. The film was successful at the box office.

Varun reunited with director Shashank Khaitan and actress Alia Bhatt for Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). He played the main character, a chauvinistic fiancé. Critics praised his performance. He received another Best Actor nomination at Filmfare.

Later in 2017, he starred in his father's film Judwaa 2. This was a new version of the 1997 film Judwaa. Both Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2 were very successful. Forbes magazine noted that Varun had become a "bona fide Bollywood superstar." This was because he had nine successful movies in a row.

Varun had two films released in 2018. The first was October, a drama. He played Danish Walia, a hotel trainee whose life changes when a co-worker falls into a coma. Critics highly praised his performance. Many called it his best acting to date.

His second film was Sui Dhaaga. Varun and Anushka Sharma played a newly married couple. They start their own small clothing business in rural India. Critics found Varun's portrayal of a simple man endearing. For October, he was nominated for the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.

Recent Films and Streaming Projects (2019–Present)

Varun Dhawan and frequent co-star Alia Bhatt promoting Kalank in 2019

In 2019, Varun Dhawan appeared in Kalank. This was a period drama set in the 1940s. He played a blacksmith. He trained hard for the role and did his own stunts.

In 2020, Varun starred in the dance film Street Dancer 3D. Later that year, he worked with his father again in Coolie No. 1. This movie was released online.

In 2022, Varun starred with Kiara Advani in Jugjugg Jeeyo. This was a comedy-drama about divorce. Critics praised his performance. The film was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Varun also played the main role in Bhediya. He played a man who turns into a werewolf. Critics enjoyed his performance.

In 2023, Varun starred with Janhvi Kapoor in Bawaal. This romantic drama was released online.

In 2024, Varun's first release was Citadel: Honey Bunny. This is an Indian version of the American spy thriller series Citadel. He played a stuntman. He also starred in the action film Baby John.

Varun Dhawan has several upcoming projects. He will reunite with Janhvi Kapoor in the romantic comedy Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari. He will also star alongside Sunny Deol in Border 2, a sequel to the 1997 war film Border.

Personal Life and Other Work

Varun Dhawan was born into a Hindu family. He considers himself a spiritual person. In January 2021, Varun married his longtime girlfriend, fashion designer Natasha Dalal. They had a daughter named Lara in June 2024.

Besides acting, Varun also performs on stage. He has hosted award ceremonies. In 2013, he performed at several award shows. He also co-hosted the 2013 Stardust Awards. He helped raise money for flood victims in Uttarakhand in 2013.

In September 2014, Varun became the brand ambassador for the Indian Super League football club FC Goa. He also donated money to help during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Filmography

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref
2010	My Name Is Khan	—	Assistant director
2012	Student of the Year	Rohan Nanda
2014	Main Tera Hero	Sreenath "Seenu" Prasad
	Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania	Rakesh "Humpty" Sharma
2015	Badlapur	Raghav Purohit
	ABCD 2	Suresh "Suru" Mukund
	Dilwale	Veer Bakshi
2016	Dishoom	Junaid Ansari
2017	Badrinath Ki Dulhania	Badrinath "Badri" Bansal
	Judwaa 2	Raja Malhotra / Prem Malhotra
2018	October	Danish Walia
	Nawabzaade	Himself	Special appearance in song "High Rated Gabru"
	Sui Dhaaga	Mauji Sharma
2019	Kalank	Zafar Chaudhary
2020	Street Dancer 3D	Sahej Singh Narula
	Coolie No. 1	Raju Coolie / Kunwar Raj Pratap Singh
2021	Antim: The Final Truth	Unnamed	Special appearance in song "Vighnaharta"
2022	Jugjugg Jeeyo	Kuldeep "Kuku" Saini
	Bhediya	Bhaskar / Bhediya
2023	Bawaal	Ajay Dixit
	Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani	Unnamed	Cameo appearance in song "Heart Throb"
2024	Munjya	Bhaskar / Bhediya	Cameo
	Stree 2
	Baby John	Baby John/DCP Satya Verma
2025	Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari	Sunny	Filming
	Thama	Bhaskar / Bhediya	Cameo
2026	Border 2	TBA	Filming
	Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai	TBA	Filming

Television

Discography

Awards and Nominations

Varun Dhawan has received five Filmfare Awards nominations. These include:

• Best Male Debut for Student of the Year (2012)
• Best Actor for Badlapur (2015)
• Best Actor for Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
• Best Actor - Critics for October (2018)
• Best Actor - Critics for Bhediya (2022)