Actor Varun Dhawan has landed in the middle of a social media storm after a recent conversation with his father, veteran filmmaker David Dhawan, went viral. In the clip, Varun suggested that the success of the Ranveer Singh-starrer spy thriller ‘Dhurandhar’ was primarily a “director’s win”, a remark that has not gone down well with a section of netizens who accused him of “discrediting” Ranveer’s contribution .
The discussion was part of a promotional event for Varun’s upcoming film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, organized by Radio Nasha and PVR Cinemas . During the chat, David Dhawan remarked that while gauging box office collections has become difficult in the digital age, the industry is ultimately “run by the actors” .
Disagreeing with his father’s statement, Varun pointed to the blockbuster Dhurandhar franchise as a counterexample. “Why do you feel that? Today, when you see Dhurandhar, you see someone like Aditya Dhar and the way he made the film. Toh woh toh director ki jeet thi na? (So that was the director’s win, right?),” Varun asked .
David Dhawan partially agreed with his son, replying, “He is one of a kind. Yes, that was a director’s win, but otherwise, if you see, actors ka zyada haath hota hai (actors have a bigger role in it)” .
Netizens accuse Varun of jealousy
The clip quickly spread across social media platforms, triggering a sharp backlash, particularly from Ranveer Singh’s ardent fan base. Many accused Varun of being dismissive of the hard work Ranveer put into the action-packed franchise .
“Any movie is a team effort. Just having a good director doesn’t make a film work either. You need a strong cast that can bring the story alive. That’s what Dhurandhar did,” one Reddit user commented .
Another user wrote, “It’s so evident that Varun is jealous of Ranveer. He cannot even pull off half of what Ranveer achieved with Dhurandhar,” while a third added, “Had it been a flop it would be Ranveer’s flop” .
Ranveer’s supporters were quick to point out that while Varun credited the director, he completely ignored the actor’s screen presence and box office pull. A fan wrote, “Ranveer was the best thing in the entire movie(s). He was consistently fantastic and brilliant, I won’t hear anything otherwise” .
The larger debate
Varun’s comment has reignited the ongoing debate in Bollywood about credit sharing—whether a film’s success belongs more to the actor or the director .
While Varun appeared to be praising Aditya Dhar’s craft and vision, many felt the statement was particularly ill-timed given the current industry climate. Ranveer Singh is currently facing a “non-cooperation directive” from FWICE over his abrupt exit from the Don 3 franchise, which has already put him under intense scrutiny .
Meanwhile, Varun is currently promoting his family entertainer Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, which is set to release on June 5 . The Dhurandhar franchise, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, has been a massive commercial success, reportedly crossing over ₹3000 crore globally across two parts .
Neither Varun Dhawan nor Ranveer Singh has publicly commented further on the controversy surrounding the remarks .
