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Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan

Actor · Born April 24, 1987 (39) · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Varun Dhawan is an Indian actor working in Bollywood films. The son of film director David Dhawan, he studied Business Management in England, after which he worked as an assistant director to Karan Johar on the 2010 drama My Name Is Khan. Dhawan made his acting debut with Johar's 2012 romantic comedy Student of the Year, a box office success, for which he received a Filmfare nomination for Best Male Debut. In 2014, he starred as the protagonist of two commercially successful comedies— Main Tera Hero and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 24, 1987 (39)
From
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Works as
Actor
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 11% in 30 days

What are Varun Dhawan's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
49%
Self
19%
Morality
13%
Power
6%
Society
6%
Survival
5%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 14 · Serious 3 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 9 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 9

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

21 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 15 of 21 analyzed roles.

Hero
15 of 21
Shadow
2 of 21
Shapeshifter
2 of 21
Ally
1 of 21
Trickster
1 of 21
Show the 21 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Romantic
12
Joyful
10
Melancholic
5
Hopeful
5
Other
16

How their films linger

Feel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Varun Dhawan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Varun Dhawan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Jass

  • Border 2(2026)

    as Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Thamma(2025)

    as Bhaskar

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari(2025)

    as Sunny Sanskari

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Baby John(2024)

    as IPS Satya Verma/John

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Citadel: Honey Bunny(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · as Bunny / Rahi

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Stree 2(2024)

    as Bhaskar

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Munjya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Bhaskar

  • Bawaal(2023)

    as Ajay Dixit

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani(2023)

    as Unnamed Cameo

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Bhediya(2022)

    as Bhaskar

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Case Toh Banta Hai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Jug Jugg Jeeyo(2022)

    as Kuldeep 'Kuku' Saini

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Antim: The Final Truth(2021)

    as Special appearance in "Chingari" song

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Coolie No. 1(2020)

    as Raju / Kunwar Mahendra Pratap

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Street Dancer 3D(2020)

    as Sahej

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Kalank(2019)

    as Zafar

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Sui Dhaaga: Made in India(2018)

    as Mauji

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Nawabzaade(2018)

    as Special appearance in "High Rated Gabru" song

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • October (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Dan

  • Judwaa 2(2017)

    as Raja / Prem

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Bride of Badrinath(2017)

    as Badrinath

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Dishoom(2016)

    as Junaid Ansari

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Dilwale(2015)

    as Veer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • ABCD 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Playback Singer · as Suresh "Suru" Mukund

  • Badlapur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Raghav (Raghu)

  • Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania(2014)

    Playback Singer · as Rakesh Kumar Sharma aka Humpty

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Main Tera Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Sreenath Prasad aka 'Seenu'

  • Student of the Year(2012)

    as Rohan Nanda

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • My Name Is Khan(2010)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The White Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer · as Dealer

  • Badlapur 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Bhediya 2: The Beginning of End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Bhaskar

  • Doosara Mahayudh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Bhaskar Sharma

  • Operation Sindoor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Pehla Mahayudh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Bhaskar Sharma

  • Yashraj First Horror Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 37 titles, 31 of them dated from 2010 to 2026; peak year 2015.

Biggest box office

Dilwale (2015)

$32M worldwide

Highest rated

Stree 2 (2024)

Midcredits 78th

Most popular right now

Koffee with Karan (2004)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
20102026

Peak 2015 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 16 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting36 of 37: 33 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thDirecting1 of 37: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 37: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleCinematography1 of 37: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 37: 1 only other crew, 2 with another role

37 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2010s15 · 14 acting · 4 crew2020s16 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 60% of 25 roles
121722

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Varun Dhawan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 22; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 34th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 23 titles are Mixed.

  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive6
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

Coolie No. 1 (2020)

99th percentile spread · 66% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)

Midcredits 80th · 75% liked

Reviewers score the acting 55/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 32. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Varun Dhawan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 18 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore11 titles18–70 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity18 titles15–48 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles17–40 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles33–44 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles9–73 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Varun Dhawan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Varun Dhawan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Karan Johar shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers

Mixed roles