Varun Dhawan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Varun Dhawan
Dhawan in 2017
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	See Dhawan family
Awards	Full list
Signature

Varun Dhawan (born 24 April 1987) is a famous Indian actor. He works mainly in Hindi films. He is one of India's highest-paid actors. Forbes India has featured him on their Celebrity 100 list. From 2012 to 2018, he starred in 11 movies that were big successes 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). Then, in 2012, he made his acting debut in Johar's teen drama Student of the Year.

He became very popular with lead roles in romantic comedies like Main Tera Hero (2014) and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). He also starred in action comedies such as Dilwale (2015) and Judwaa 2 (2017). His dance film ABCD 2 (2015) and the drama Sui Dhaaga (2018) were also big hits.

Varun Dhawan also earned praise for different kinds of roles. He played a man seeking revenge in the thriller Badlapur (2015). He also played a lost man dealing with sadness in the drama October (2018). While some of his later films were not as successful, Jugjugg Jeeyo and Bhediya in 2022 were well-liked.

Varun Dhawan's Early Life

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 Dhawan. Rohit is also a film director. His uncle, Anil Dhawan, is an actor. Other family members in the film industry include fashion designer Manish Malhotra. His cousins Punit Malhotra and Kunal Kohli are also film directors.

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.

Varun Dhawan's Acting Journey

Starting Out: 2012–2014

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

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

Critics liked his performance. Many said he was a natural talent. Student of the Year was a big hit. It earned a lot of money worldwide.

Next, Varun starred in the romantic comedy Main Tera Hero (2014). This film was a remake of a Telugu movie. His father, David Dhawan, directed it. Varun played a playful character caught in a love triangle. People praised his funny timing in the film. Main Tera Hero was also a commercial success.

After that, he played Rakesh in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. He played a charming Punjabi boy who falls in love with an engaged woman. Alia Bhatt was his co-star again. This film was seen as a tribute to the classic movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Critics noted his strong presence on screen. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania became one of the top-earning Indian films that year.

Becoming a Star: 2015–2018

In 2015, Varun took on a serious role in the crime thriller Badlapur. He played Raghu, a father who seeks revenge for his family's murder. Varun said playing this role was "terrifying" and made him feel sad. Critics praised his acting range in this film. He even received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor promoting ABCD 2 in 2015

Varun then starred in the dance film ABCD 2 with Shraddha Kapoor. He played Suresh Mukund, a real-life dancer from Mumbai. Suresh's team won the 2012 World Hip Hop Dance Championship. Critics felt Varun was the best part of the movie. ABCD 2 earned a lot of money. This film showed Varun's growing popularity as a star.

Later in 2015, Varun appeared 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 success. It became Varun's highest-earning movie and one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films.

In 2016, he was in the action-comedy Dishoom. He played a new cop from India and Dubai. The film was successful at the box office.

Varun worked with director Shashank Khaitan and Alia Bhatt again in 2017. This was for the romantic comedy Badrinath Ki Dulhania. He played the main character, a traditional fiancé. Critics said Varun was impressive in his role. He received another Best Actor nomination for this film.

Later in 2017, he starred in his father's film Judwaa 2. This was a new version of the 1997 film Judwaa. He played two roles alongside Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu. Both Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2 were big hits. Forbes magazine noted that Varun had nine successful films in a row. This showed he was a true Bollywood superstar.

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

His second film in 2018 was Sui Dhaaga. Varun and Anushka Sharma played a newly married couple in rural India. They start their own small clothing business. Critics said Varun was perfect at playing a simple, endearing character. He was nominated for an award for his role in October.

Recent Films and Projects: 2019–Present

In 2019, Varun appeared in the period drama Kalank. He was paired with Alia Bhatt again. The film was set in the 1940s before India was divided. He played a blacksmith. Varun trained hard for the role, even with injuries. Critics liked his different kind of performance.

Varun started the new decade with the dance film Street Dancer 3D (2020). However, both Kalank and Street Dancer 3D did not do very well. This was a small setback in his career.

He worked with his father for the third time in Coolie No. 1 (2020). This film was a remake of a 1995 movie. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released online. The film received negative reviews from both critics and the public.

In 2022, Varun starred in Jugjugg Jeeyo. This was a comedy-drama about divorce. Critics praised his acting in this complex role. It was one of the highest-earning films of the year. Varun also played the main role in Bhediya. This was a horror-comedy film. He played a man who turns into a werewolf. Critics enjoyed his performance as the reluctant werewolf.

Varun starred with Janhvi Kapoor in Bawaal (2023). This romantic drama was about a couple learning about World War II while traveling. It was released online. The film received some criticism.

In 2024, Varun's first release was Citadel: Honey Bunny. This was an Indian version of an American spy thriller series. He played a stuntman, which was his first full action role. He also led the film Baby John. This was a remake of a Tamil film.

Varun will continue to work on new projects. He will reunite with Janhvi Kapoor in a romantic comedy. He will also star in Border 2, a sequel to the 1997 war film Border.

Varun Dhawan's Personal Life and Other Work

Varun Dhawan was born into a Hindu family. He considers himself a spiritual person. He is close to the ISKCON group. In January 2021, Varun married his longtime girlfriend, Natasha Dalal. She is a fashion designer. The couple welcomed their daughter, Lara, in June 2024.

Besides acting, Varun also performs on stage. He has co-hosted two award ceremonies. In 2013, he performed at several award shows. He also performed at an event in Hong Kong. He co-hosted the 2013 Stardust Awards. He also hosted a part of the 59th Filmfare Awards. He helped host the 20th Screen Awards with Shahrukh Khan.

In 2013, Varun performed at a special event. He helped raise money for people affected by floods in Uttarakhand.

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

Varun Dhawan's 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	Bhaskar / Bhediya	Special appearance
	Baby John	Baby John/DCP Satya Verma
2025	Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari	Sunny	Filming
	Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai	TBA	Filming
2026	Border 2	TBA	Filming

Television

Varun Dhawan's Music

Awards and Nominations

Varun Dhawan has been nominated for five Filmfare Awards. These include:

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