‘It shook me very badly’: Varun Dhawan on his first flop. How the failure of his big-budget film with Alia Bhatt took an emotional toll on him

Varun Dhawan is gearing up for the release of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. The film, directed by his father David Dhawan, also stars Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde in key roles alongside Mouni Roy, Rakesh Bedi, Jimmy Shergill, Kubbra Sait and Maniesh Paul. Recently, the cast of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai attended the movie’s trailer launch held in Mumbai. During the event, Varun opened up about his first flop film, also starring Alia Bhatt and how it emotionally impacted him. David Dawan, who was also present at the launch event, agreed with his son’s perspective.

Varun Dhawan on Kalank

The film in discussion was Karan Johar’s big-budget production, Kalank. Reportedly made on a budget of Rs 150 crore, the 2019 romance drama failed to impress the audience. Speaking on the matter, Varun Dhawan revealed that Kalank was his first flop film after delivering a series of hits, including Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Badlapur, to name a few.


Varun Dhawan admitted that Kalank’s failure ‘shook’ him very badly and he kept on wondering, ‘Yeh kaise ho gaya, kyun ho gaya? (How did this happen, why did it happier?)’. However, at that time, it was David Dhawan who supported him. ‘My father always told me that it is the law of averages,’ remembered Varun.

David Dhawan on Kalank failure and more about the film

Chiming in to Varun Dhawan’s confession, David Dhawan added that Kalank’s poor box office performance left him feeling ‘depressed’ as well. The filmmaker was especially sympathetic towards Karan Johar, stating that the producer gave his all to the film. ‘Karan Johar must have sold his last shirt to make that movie,’ noted David Dhawan.

Kalank, directed by Abhishek Verman, was set against the backdrop of pre-independence India, where the 6 individuals from different families experienced love, betrayal, heartbreak and revenge. Besides Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, Kalank also featured an ensemble cast of Aditya Roy Kapur, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, and Kunal Kemmu. Although the movie tanked at the box office, Kalank’s music album was a hit among the masses.

Meanwhile, Varun Dhawan’s upcoming film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is scheduled to hit the silver screens on June 5.