Whether jumping heroically off a balcony in a colorful vest or pumping patriotism with his power-packed performance in Border 2, when he is on the screen, you just cannot move your eyes away from the screen. He is the son of a talented director. Yet, he refuses to enjoy the laurels of his legendary father. He wanted to create his own identity and has been successful so far. We are talking about the heartthrob, none other than the young, talented, and handsome Varun Dhawan.
Dhawan, who started his career in 2010 as an assistant director in My Name Is Khan (starring Shah Rukh Khan), debuted as a lead actor in Karan Johar’s rom-com drama, Student of the Year. Since then, the actor has been unstoppable. With at least a couple of big-budget releases every year, most of which have been quite successful, Varun has proved that he is a mass entertainer. So, here are ten Varun Dhawan movies that prove being a people’s entertainer isn’t a label but a revered art form.
1. Student of the Year
Dhawan’s first movie as an actor, Student of the Year, released in 2012, is a Bollywood teen romantic drama set in the prestigious St. Teresa’s College. The film is about three students competing for the Student of the Year trophy.
Varun plays the wealthy, popular, yet charming and confident student and son of the college’s trustee, played by Ram Kapoor. Apparently, he looks carefree and spoiled. Yet, he struggles with his father’s high expectations and emotional ignorance. The movie also stars Alia Bhatt and Siddharth Malhotra in parallel, and pivotal roles.
2. Main Tera Hero
Directed by his father, David Dhawan, Main Tera Hero is yet another rom-com that revolves around a naughty, impulsive, but good-hearted young man. Varun plays Seenu, who is sent to Bangalore to study engineering. Here, he falls in love with Sunaina (played by Ileana D’Cruz. But their romance isn’t devoid of struggles as Sunaina is pursued by an intimidating police officer played by Arunoday Singh. Later, the movie also has another angle – Ayesha, played by Nargis Fakhri. The energetic performance of Varun remains the highlight and maintains intrigue in the movie.
3. Badlapur
Released in 2014, Badlapur is a crime thriller ensemble. Varun, of course, plays the central character, named Raghav Purohit. The story begins with a bank robbery in Pune committed by Liaq and Harman. While escaping, Raghu’s wife and son are shot and killed. Liaq is arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Raghu then begins living a reclusive life away from Pune and waits for Liaq to be released to avenge his family’s death. As the film unfolds, it reveals several traits of the character played by Varun, brilliantly played by the talented young actor. The movie also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte, Yami Gautam, and Divya Dutta.
4. ABCD 2
ABCD 2 is a 2015 dance drama film that showed another dimension of Varun’s acting capabilities – dance. The highlight of the movie is its choreography by Remo D’Souza. It is partially inspired by real-life accounts of Suresh Mukund and Vernon Monteiro, two passionate dancers from the suburbs of Mumbai, who founded a dance group and went on to compete internationally. Varun plays the role of Suresh (Suru), a young and ambitious dancer from a modest background. He received critical applause for his acting and dancing in the film, also starring Prabhu Deva and Shraddha Kapoor in pivotal roles.
5. Dilwale
Another rom-com, yet full of action, Dilwale, a commercially successful movie, marked another milestone in the career of this young actor. In this movie, he shared screen space with veterans Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Directed by Rohit Shetty, the film blends romance, family drama, action, and comedy.
As for Varun, he plays the role of Veer Bakshi, a fun-loving, energetic, and loyal younger brother of Raj (played by Khan). Veer romances Ishita (played by Kriti Sanon), who happens to be the younger sister of Meera (Kajol), and who, in turn, had a tragic love story with Veer’s elder brother Raj. Their innocent romance also unites the two older lovers as the story progresses.
6. Badrinath Ki Dulhania
Badrinath Ki Dulhania is Dhawan’s second film with Alia Bhatt. It is yet another rom-com drama to the actor’s credit, focusing on love and patriarchy. Varun plays the role of Badri, who belongs to a wealthy, yet conservative family in Jhansi. He falls in love with Vaidehi (Bhatt), who is an intelligent and ambitious woman from Kota. Essentially, the movie is about respecting a woman’s independence and ambitions.
Varun’s character in the movie is a rich, carefree, yet charming and somewhat egoistic. He is also a flawed lover who later learns to respect Vaidehi’s ambitions, challenges his upbringing, begins supporting her independence, and rejects dowry.
This transformation forms the core of the film.
7. Judwaa 2
A reboot of the 1997 Salman Khan-starrer Judwaa, Judwaa is a Bollywood action-comedy directed by David Dhawan. The movie smartly blends slapstick comedy, romance, action, and chaos arising from mistaken identities. The story is about twin brothers separated at birth due to a criminal conspiracy. One is Raja, who grew up on the streets of Mumbai, and the other is Prem, raised in London. Hence, both brothers are poles apart. Yet, they are brilliantly played by Varun. He seamlessly juggles two opposite roles – one, the street-smart Raja, and the other, shy, innocent, and sophisticated Prem. The movie also stars Taapsee Pannu, Jacqueline Fernandez, Anupam Kher, and Sachin Khedekar.
8. Bhediya
Released in 2022, Bhediya marks the entry of Varun Dhawan in the comedy-horror or fantasy film genre. The movie melds folklore, humor, and environmental themes. The plot of the movie is inspired by a folklore from Arunachal Pradesh, which is about Yapum, a shape-shifting werewolf that wants to protect the jungle.
Varun plays the role of Bhaskar Sharma, a road contractor from Delhi, who travels to Arunachal Pradesh to build a road that cuts through the dense forests. When bitten mysteriously by a wolf one night, he gains super-heightened senses and transforms into a werewolf. The film also stars Kriti Sanon, Deepak Dobriyal, and Abhishek Bannerjee.
9. Sui Dhaaga
Sui Dhaaga is another movie that proves the acting prowess of Dhawan. It is a social drama film that was released in 2018 and also stars Anushka Sharma as the female lead. Varun plays the role of Mauji Sharma, a small-town man stuck in a low-paying job, who suffers humiliation from his employer but believes in job security more than self-respect. However, his wife, Mamta (Sharma), senses his potential and urges him to start a tailoring business. The movie is about their entrepreneurial struggles and victory, cutting through challenges such as social ridicule and betrayal.
10. Border 2
Dhawan’s latest release is Border 2, a movie that also stars Sunny Deol, Ahan Shetty, and Diljit Dosanjh. The film is an epic war drama and a standalone sequel to the iconic 1997 movie, Border. It portrays the operations of all of India’s defense forces, including the army, air force, and navy, in the 1971 Pakistan War. Varun plays the role of Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, a courageous, composed, and tactically sharp Param Vir Chakra awardee. This movie explores another dimension of Varun’s acting as he plays a serious character.
With all the talent and opportunities Varun Dhawan (age 38) is capitalizing on, the actor has a promising future and will emerge as a more versatile actor. Some of his other popular movies include Stree 2, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, Coolie No. 1, Street, and Dancer 3D. Varun Dhawan’s upcoming movies include Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.
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