Varun Dhawan entered the film industry more than ten years ago. It was evident that people were witnessing the rise of a new superstar. The actor even managed to maintain a particular reputation among the audience. However, things changed with time. People have seen the work of other popular faces and have even described their performances as better than Varun Dhawan’s.
Varun Dhawan’s hits and flops tell the story of a career that started with enormous promise, while Varun Dhawan’s filmography reflects both commercial successes and missed opportunities.
Talking about today’s reality, Varun has undoubtedly lost the market where he used to create records. The box office numbers prove this fact. While expectations remain high, let’s have a look at his entire journey since the beginning. From youthful entertainers to experimental dramas, Varun Dhawan’s filmography has covered multiple genres, and Varun Dhawan’s hits and flops reveal how dramatically his box office fortunes have changed over the years.
1. Student of the Year (2012)
Karan Johar is known for his work in romantic films. But with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, he also proved that he can create the best content for the youth. Karan returned to the genre once again with outstanding music, which became a chartbuster. It marked the launch of Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra, and Alia Bhatt, who went on to establish themselves over the next few years.
Verdict: Semi-Hit
2. Main Tera Hero (2014)
Considering that Varun Dhawan was born into a family that has been associated with the film industry for a long time, there was no one better than his father, David Dhawan, to bring out the best in him. David attempted the formula of his previous films, where a boy unexpectedly meets a girl and ends up getting embroiled in bigger chaos. The formula worked to some extent at the box office.
Verdict: Hit
3. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)
Varun Dhawan started experimenting with more romantic films. This was inspired by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge. It became a topic of discussion due to the on-screen chemistry between Varun and Alia Bhatt. Moreover, the comedy also worked to a great extent. The music remains a chartbuster to this day, with most of the songs being played at parties and other events.
Verdict: Hit
4. Badlapur (2015)
While Varun Dhawan maintained the image of a chocolate hero for all this time, Sriram Raghavan decided to bring out a new side of him. Reports stated that Varun watched a lot of dark-themed films to prepare for the role. The Varun that people witnessed this time was different. He was out for revenge after the deaths of his wife and child. He even brutally killed two people with a hammer.
Verdict: Hit
5. ABCD 2 (2015)
After the success of ABCD in 2012, Remo D’Souza decided to take a dance group out of India. The aim was to compete in the biggest hip-hop dance competition in Las Vegas. Remo decided to use the star power of Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. The music was an instant hit alongside the trailer, which created headlines for its well-choreographed dance sequences.
Verdict: Super Hit
6. Dilwale (2015)
Whenever a Rohit Shetty film is announced, the box office prepares for a big storm. The same thing happened this time. Gerua was already a chartbuster, with the visuals taking people back to the golden era of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in Bollywood. While the movie took a big opening, the treatment of the storyline was not liked by many, which impacted its overall numbers.
Verdict: Semi Hit
7. Dishoom (2016)
The trailer was creating headlines from the time of its release. Everyone was excited to know the mystery behind the disappearance of a cricketer. The superhit music contributed to its decent opening at the box office. Apart from Varun Dhawan’s comedy, John Abraham’s action and abs helped pull audiences into single screens across India for a long time.
Verdict: Average
8. Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
It is common in Bollywood for movies released during festivals to turn out to be successful. Shashank Khaitan continued the Dulhania franchise with a new storyline and even brought back the original cast, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. While the plot addressed women’s empowerment, it focused on many other important themes, attracting crowds across all circuits in India.
Verdict: Super Hit
9. Judwaa 2 (2017)
David Dhawan and Sajid Nadiadwala decided to recreate the cult classic that featured Salman Khan. However, there was not a lot of uniqueness except for a few things, including Varun Dhawan in the lead. The main premise was the same, where two twins separated at birth reunite in the end to take down a villain. Although the storyline was not new, it was the promotional strategy that helped the film survive.
Verdict: Super Hit
10. October (2018)
Shoojit Sircar is not one of those directors whose focus is on commercial films. His films usually attract a particular section of the audience. Varun Dhawan was paired opposite Banita Sandhu. While Judwaa 2 left a few people disappointed, Varun’s performance in the drama film was appreciated by the audience. However, the box office performance was not as outstanding as expected.
Verdict: Flop
11. Sui Dhaaga (2018)
Varun Dhawan joined Yash Raj Films for the first time. The production company returned to its old concept, focusing on a small-town family aiming to launch their clothing business. The basic concept received a lot of praise, along with the performances of the leads, including Anushka Sharma. The movie was also made on a modest budget, which helped it survive at the box office.
Verdict: Semi-Hit
12. Kalank (2019)
After a gap of one year, Varun Dhawan returned to the big screen with a period romantic drama. Karan Johar also ensured he brought some of the most popular faces in the lead, including Madhuri Dixit and many others. The film was trending for its visuals before release, and people expected it to deliver something out of the box. However, everyone was disappointed once they entered the theatres. The collections dropped after the first day, and competition from Avengers: Endgame also impacted the business to a great extent.
Verdict: Disaster
At this stage, Varun Dhawan’s hits and flops graph still appeared healthy on paper, but the later phase of Varun Dhawan’s filmography would bring far tougher challenges.
13. Street Dancer 3D (2020)
Remo D’Souza returned to his field of expertise after Race 3 disappointed everyone. Dance was the main theme here, along with a focus on illegal immigrants who had been waiting to return to their families for many years. 2020 started on a good note for the box office, and it was seemingly the last time Varun Dhawan somehow attracted the public to theatres. The franchise value helped the film survive for some time.
Verdict: Average
14. Coolie No. 1 (2020)
It was the post-pandemic phase, where audiences had started rejecting remakes unless they had some unique content. Many people had already predicted that Varun Dhawan would not be able to recreate what Govinda did many years ago. Some critics said that it was a good decision on the part of the makers to bring the movie directly to OTT. The reviews were extremely negative, with major criticism directed at Varun Dhawan, who tried to imitate two actors.
Verdict: Not Applicable
15. Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022)
Karan Johar returned to the genre that can easily attract audiences: a family drama with a romantic angle in the background. The music was a hit before its release. Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani’s chemistry also became a topic of discussion, along with the comedy sequences. The film took a slow opening but eventually picked up due to positive word of mouth.
Verdict: Average
16. Bhediya (2022)
The movie was announced almost a year after the pandemic started. With Dinesh Vijan’s involvement, everyone started talking about it. The makers even opted for authenticity as they shot in the real forests of Arunachal Pradesh. The wave of Drishyam 2 was still alive. Despite that, the movie managed to start well at the box office and recorded some decent numbers by the end of its run.
Verdict: Flop
17. Bawaal (2023)
The trend of bringing films directly to OTT platforms had not ended. A talented filmmaker like Nitesh Tiwari was forced to bring his movie to Amazon Prime Video instead of opting for a theatrical release. It was an unusual love story where two people marry each other and go on a journey outside their country, discovering a lot of historical facts.
Verdict: Not Applicable
18. Baby John (2024)
The first glimpse hinted that Varun Dhawan was planning a big comeback. But once it was confirmed that the action drama was a remake of Theri, the buzz ended immediately. Pushpa: The Rule was already creating history at the box office. Despite a Christmas release, the movie hardly took a big opening as everyone had seen the Hindi version of Theri on YouTube and satellite television.
Verdict: Disaster
19. Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2025)
Long titles have become a new trend nowadays. They cannot attract audiences every time. However, the makers won’t let go of their habits. The same thing happened with this one. It repeated the pairing of Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor after Bawaal. The music somehow helped build some hype before the release. But heavy competition from Kantara: Chapter 1 prevented it from creating big records.
Verdict: Flop
20. Border 2 (2026)
The sequel to J.P. Dutta’s cult classic was announced more than a year ago. Sunny Deol’s presence was expected to pull crowds, specifically after the success of Gadar 2. One iconic single was recreated, and the rest of the soundtrack was completely new. The Republic Day weekend release and the patriotic theme helped attract crowds. A particular section even praised Varun Dhawan’s performance.
Verdict: Hit
The above-mentioned list proves that Varun Dhawan is struggling to leave an impression. The actor clearly does not have a blockbuster in his filmography. It can be seen that it is his wrong choices that are impacting his career. A closer look at Varun Dhawan’s hits and flops suggests that consistency has been his biggest challenge, while Varun Dhawan’s filmography highlights how crucial script selection has become for his future.
Moreover, directors have failed to write new characters for him or bring out something unique in him, specifically after Badlapur. While the actor has signed a few more projects, the wait remains to see if he will ever create any big records.
