Varun Dhawan is one of the most popular and promising faces among the young generation of actors. The actor has seen a lot of commercial success in the past but recently has been struggling with some misses. However, those bumps don’t deny the fact that he is one of the most bankable star among the young lot of actors.
For the first nine of his releases, Varun Dhawan had a success ratio of 100% at the box office. However, due to the recent string of flops he is yet to be established as a bonafide superstar. His upcoming projects, which include a diverse mix of genres, web series, and franchises, appear promising. But the question remains: will this lineup solidify his status as Bollywood’s next superstar? Let’s take a closer look. Make sure to read till the end for a fun trivia regarding the actor!
1. Citadel: Honey Bunny Varun Dhawan
Directors – Raj & DK
Produced By – D2R Films, Amazon MGM Studios
Release Date – 7 November 2024
Executive produced by the Russo Brothers, Citadel: Honey Bunny will be the next instalment in Prime Video’s Citadel Spyverse. It will be set in the 90s and will be a spinoff of Citadel starring Priynka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden. This will also mark the debut of Varun Dhawan in the OTT space with the extremely talented duo of Raj & DK at the helm of affairs. As the universe continues to expand across various countries, there’s potential for Dhawan to appear in future foreign-language installments as well.
Co-stars – Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Kay Kay Menon
2. Baby John
Director – Kalees
Produced by – Atlee, Jio Studios
Release – 25 December 2024
Following the heartbreaking failure of Bhediya, the next big theatrical release for Varun Dhawan will be Baby John. Directed by Kalees and produced by Atlee, Baby John is said to be an upgraded version of the Tamil blockbuster Theri which was directed by Atlee and starred Thalapathy Vijay in the lead role.
With the postponement of Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par, Baby John will now be releasing solo on Christmas and has the potential to give Varun Dhawan a mega blockbuster through which he can make a solid comeback.With whatever we have heard about the project,the actor is giving it his all and leaving no stone unturned. Also, get ready to be taken aback by Salman Khan’s cameo which will be directed by Atlee himself. Based on whatever we have learnt, Salman’s appearance is going to blast the theatres! And…. I’ll leave it at that!
Co-stars – Wamiqa Gabbi, Keerthy Suresh, Pankaj Tripathi and Jackie Shroff
3. Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari
Director – Shashank Khaitan
Produced by – Dharma Productions
Release – 18 April 2025
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, will see Varun Dhawan back in the romcom genre after Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya which was also directed by Shashank Khaitan. Reports also state that the movie was supposed to be Dulhania 3 at first, but the film’s title was changed following the backlash of fans over Alia Bhatt’s absence from the project.
Co-stars – Janhvi Kapoor, Rohit Saraf, Sanya Malhotra and Maniesh Paul
4. Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
Director – David Dhawan
Produced by – Tips Industries Limited (Ramesh Taurani)
Release – 2 October 2025
The father-son duo of David Dhawan and Varun Dhawan will be seen reuniting for the fourth time after Main Tera Hero, Judwaa 2 and Coolie No.1 for an original comic caper titled Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. With two of their last three collaborations being successful, this movie also has the potential to give Varun Dhawan another box office success, further solidifying his status as a reliable star in the industry. With Sreeleela opting out, the makers are in search for the second female lead.
Co-stars – Mrunal Thakur, Kubbra Sait and Maniesh Paul
5. Bhediya 2
Director – Amar Kaushik
Produced by – Maddock Films, Jio Studios
Release – Last quarter of 2025 / Early 2026
The sequel to Bhediya and one of the next instalment in Maddock’s Supernatural Universe, Bhediya 2 will see Varun Dhawan reprising his role as the desi werewolf. The movie was announced at the Jio100 event held in April 2023. Although the original Bhediya underperformed at the box office, Varun’s cameo as Bhediya in the recent blockbuster Stree 2 was well received by the audience, highlighting the amount of promise the character holds.
Being a part of one of India’s most beloved cinematic universes just adds to the immense potential Bhediya 2 carries, which could play a pivotal role in Varun Dhawan’s journey of becoming the next superstar.
Co-stars – TBA
6. Border 2
Director – Anurag Singh
Produced by – J.P. Dutta, T-Series
Release – 23rd January 2026
Perhaps the biggest project of Varun Dhawan’s career, the sequel to the 1997 blockbuster- Border 2, is touted to be the biggest war film India has ever produced. The movie will be helmed by Kesari director Anurag Singh and is expected to begin filming soon. Varun Dhawan has been officially announced as a part of the cast through an announcement teaser. Border 2 has the potential to emerge as the biggest hit ever for Varun Dhawan! Filming is expected to begin in October 2024.
Co-stars – Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty
7. No Entry Mein Entry (No Entry 2) Varun Dhawan
Director – Anees Bazmee
Produced by – Boney Kapoor
Release – Last Quarter of 2026
No Entry 2, also known as No Entry Mein Entry, is another promising sequel in Varun Dhawan’s lineup. The film will be directed by Anees Bazmee, who helmed the original comedy, No Entry. Varun Dhawan will be playing a triple in this project. Additionally, the movie is expected to be VFX-heavy, featuring an ensemble cast where apart from Varun Dhawan the other two male leads will also been seen in triple roles, alongside ten actresses. The original film’s popularity is likely to boost the sequel’s success, potentially making it another box office hit for Varun Dhawan.
Co-stars – Diljit Dosanjh and Arjun Kapoor, with 9 actresses (TBA)
With so many promising films in Varun Dhawan’s kitty, he is all set to emerge as the next big thing in Bollywood and possibly achieve the superstar status.
A Fun Trivia
Did You Know? Varun Dhawan’s on-screen debut wasn’t in Student Of The Year as many believe, but actually in My Name Is Khan! The actor who also served as an Assistant Director in the movie, actually made a 10 second appearance as Rizwan Khan’s younger brother.
Author: Kshamik Vadecha
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