From the college campus of Student of the Year to the battlefield of Border 2, Varun Dhawan’s movies cover masala comedies, dance films, a gritty revenge thriller and a horror-comedy. Over 14 years he has built one of Bollywood’s most varied filmographies.
This guide lists every Varun Dhawan film in order, with directors, co-stars and a plain verdict on how each did. It also covers his best performances and what is coming next.
Latest Varun Dhawan Movies (2025–2026)
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai (5 June 2026)
Directed by his father David Dhawan, this romantic comedy co-stars Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. It is reportedly David Dhawan’s last film as director. Reviews were mixed, and trade reports from Pinkvilla and others describe it as a box office disappointment, with an estimated lifetime around ₹50 crore net in India.
Border 2 (23 January 2026)
Anurag Singh’s war drama is the sequel to the 1997 classic and stars Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty alongside Varun, who plays Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya. According to Wikipedia’s 2026 Hindi box office table, it grossed about ₹464.5 crore worldwide, making it one of the biggest Hindi films of the year. Its opening day was reported at around ₹30 crore.
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2 October 2025)
Shashank Khaitan’s romantic comedy paired Varun with Janhvi Kapoor, with Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf in key roles. It opened modestly, at about ₹9 crore according to trade reports.
Complete Varun Dhawan Movies List (Year-Wise)
The table below is ordered from newest to oldest. Verdicts are broad summaries based on widely reported trade and critic opinion; exact box office numbers vary by source.
| Year | Movie | Director | Main co-stars | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai | David Dhawan | Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde | Flop |
| 2026 | Border 2 | Anurag Singh | Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty | Major hit |
| 2025 | Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari | Shashank Khaitan | Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf | Below expectations |
| 2024 | Baby John | A. Kaleeswaran | Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jackie Shroff | Flop |
| 2023 | Bawaal (Prime Video) | Nitesh Tiwari | Janhvi Kapoor | Direct-to-OTT, divided opinion |
| 2022 | Bhediya | Amar Kaushik | Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee | Critically liked, moderate box office |
| 2022 | Jugjugg Jeeyo | Raj Mehta | Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor | Hit |
| 2020 | Coolie No. 1 (Prime Video) | David Dhawan | Sara Ali Khan | OTT release, mostly negative reviews |
| 2020 | Street Dancer 3D | Remo D’Souza | Shraddha Kapoor, Nora Fatehi | Underperformer |
| 2019 | Kalank | Abhishek Varman | Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt | Flop |
| 2018 | Sui Dhaaga: Made in India | Sharat Katariya | Anushka Sharma | Well-reviewed, decent run |
| 2018 | October | Shoojit Sircar | Banita Sandhu | Critically acclaimed, modest box office |
| 2017 | Judwaa 2 | David Dhawan | Taapsee Pannu, Jacqueline Fernandez | Hit |
| 2017 | Badrinath Ki Dulhania | Shashank Khaitan | Alia Bhatt | Hit |
| 2016 | Dishoom | Rohit Dhawan | John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez | Hit |
| 2015 | Dilwale | Rohit Shetty | Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon | Ensemble, supporting role |
| 2015 | ABCD 2 | Remo D’Souza | Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva | Hit |
| 2015 | Badlapur | Sriram Raghavan | Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Yami Gautam | Hit, praised for his dark turn |
| 2014 | Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania | Shashank Khaitan | Alia Bhatt | Hit |
| 2014 | Main Tera Hero | David Dhawan | Ileana D’Cruz, Nargis Fakhri | Hit |
| 2012 | Student of the Year | Karan Johar | Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt | Hit, his debut |
Best Varun Dhawan Movies
Rotten Tomatoes highlights October, Sui Dhaaga: Made in India, Badlapur, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Border 2 and Bhediya among his highest-rated work. Here is why these films stand out:
1. Badlapur (2015)
This is the film that showed he was more than a campus hero. As Raghu, a grieving husband who turns relentless, he held his own against Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Sriram Raghavan’s dark thriller.
2. October (2018)
Quiet, restrained and emotionally risky, Shoojit Sircar’s film saw him play Danish, a hotel intern. It did modest business but is often named as his most mature performance.
3. Sui Dhaaga: Made in India (2018)
As Mauji, a small-town tailor chasing dignity, he showed warmth and comic timing in a story that wore its heart on its sleeve.
4. Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
A smart mix of romance and social commentary, and a big commercial success with Alia Bhatt.
5. Bhediya (2022)
A horror-comedy that took a creative risk, blending creature effects with humour. It won over critics even if the box office was moderate, and it connected him to the wider horror-comedy universe, including a cameo in Stree 2.
6. Border 2 (2026)
A big-canvas war drama where he plays a real-life style soldier role in a multi-star cast. Its box office strength made it one of his most visible recent films.
Hits and Flops at a Glance
Commercial highs: Student of the Year, Main Tera Hero, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badlapur, ABCD 2, Dishoom, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Judwaa 2, Jugjugg Jeeyo and Border 2.
Disappointments: Kalank, Street Dancer 3D, Baby John and Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.
His pattern is clear: he works best in director-driven entertainers and genre experiments, and struggles when a film leans on an expensive scale or tired formula. Awards-wise, Wikipedia’s list shows five Filmfare nominations without a win, though he has picked up awards at ceremonies such as Screen, Zee Cine and Stardust.
Directors and Co-Stars He Works With Most
David Dhawan (his father) has directed Main Tera Hero, Judwaa 2, Coolie No. 1 and Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. Shashank Khaitan made Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari. Remo D’Souza brought him ABCD 2 and Street Dancer 3D.
On screen, Alia Bhatt (four films, including Kalank) and Shraddha Kapoor (ABCD 2, Street Dancer 3D) are his most frequent pairings, followed by Janhvi Kapoor (Bawaal and Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari).
Cameos and OTT Work
Beyond leading roles, Varun appears as Bhaskar in the horror-comedy universe, with cameos in Stree 2 (2024) and Thamma (2025). On streaming, he starred in the spy series Citadel: Honey Bunny (Prime Video, 2024) opposite Samantha, and his films Coolie No. 1 and Bawaal went directly to Prime Video.
Varun Dhawan Upcoming Movies
- Bhediya 2: the sequel is listed by Bollywood Hungama for 2027, and reports said his dates were locked for it. The date has already shifted once, so treat it as tentative.
- Remo D’Souza film with Katrina Kaif: Filmibeat lists this untitled project for 25 March 2027.
- No Entry 2: early plans had him with Arjun Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh, but Mid-Day reported in October 2025 that he had stepped away because of date clashes. No official confirmation was found, so he is not listed as part of the cast here.
Release dates for upcoming films change often, so check official announcements from the producers before planning anything around them.
Where to Watch Varun Dhawan Movies
Streaming rights move between platforms every few months. Prime Video hosts titles like Bawaal, Coolie No. 1 and Citadel: Honey Bunny. For the rest, search the film title on JustWatch to see the current platform in India.
Final Word
Varun Dhawan’s career moves between crowd-pleasing comedies and bolder experiments. His best films tend to come when he chooses a strong director and a character with an edge, and the next two years, led by Bhediya 2, will show which direction he leans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Varun Dhawan’s first movie?
His debut was Student of the Year (2012), directed by Karan Johar.
What is Varun Dhawan’s latest movie?
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai (5 June 2026) is his most recent release. Before that came Border 2 in January 2026.
Which is Varun Dhawan’s best movie?
There is no single answer. Badlapur and October are the usual picks for performance, while Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Border 2 are strong commercial ones.
How many movies has Varun Dhawan done?
He has about 20 feature films as a lead or major supporting actor since 2012, plus cameos and one web series.
Has Varun Dhawan worked with his father?
Yes. David Dhawan directed him in Main Tera Hero, Judwaa 2, Coolie No. 1 and Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.
What are Varun Dhawan’s upcoming movies?
Bhediya 2 and a Remo D’Souza film with Katrina Kaif are both reported for 2027. Dates may change.
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