The box office bonanza will always be a discourse. For aeons, every curtain call has been measured by its sale of tickets precisely, which is why we see theatres shrinking. Art is getting into an uncomfortable existential crisis, with the rampant commercialisation of every turning page. Scripts are losing grip now, and the lightning stars are struggling to grasp the shore of success—eventually failing. As prominent as Varun Dhawan is now, getting raised eyebrows.
Student Of The Year was his debut. His stardom landed like butter. We got to witness a series of successful films in the years that followed. Sui Dhaaga (2018) still resonates with us. We loved that movie. However, following that, the graph has been curving down for Dhawan. Starting from 2019. The shift occurred with the COVID pandemic in play and the merger of South films. The audience got a broader spectrum to witness on OTT platforms.
The slide began with Kalank, a lavish period drama that opened strong but quickly collapsed due to a weak screenplay and poor word-of-mouth, ending Varun’s winning streak. This was followed by Street Dancer 3D in 2020, which, despite impressive choreography, failed to excite audiences due to a formulaic plot and pandemic-related challenges. Later that year, the much-hyped remake Coolie No. 1 went straight to OTT and was widely panned for its outdated humour, delivering negligible theatrical returns. In 2022, Jug Jugg Jeeyo offered a glimmer of hope with decent performances and family appeal, but its clichéd writing led to modest earnings that still fell short of profitability. Bawaal (2023), an ambitious WWII-themed romance, garnered attention for its unusual premise but drew backlash over its controversial Holocaust references, resulting in mixed reviews and limited box office recovery. Most recently, Baby John (2024), a Hindi remake of the Tamil hit Theri, aimed to re-establish Varun in the action space but bombed due to poor execution, fierce competition, and lack of audience interest, recovering less than half its hefty budget.
Continuing his struggle at the box office, Varun Dhawan’s latest romantic comedy, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, released on October 2, 2025, has also failed to break the dry spell. Directed by Shashank Khaitan and produced by Dharma Productions, the film stars Dhawan as the traditionally charming Sunny opposite Janhvi Kapoor’s spirited Tulsi, in a tale of ex-lovers conspiring to sabotage their respective partners’ weddings amidst family chaos and comedy. While the film received praise for the energetic lead performances—particularly Varun’s trademark charm and Janhvi’s improved comic timing—and its vibrant tone was supported by catchy music, it struggled to maintain its commercial footing. By Day 14, it had earned approximately ₹53.90 crore net in India against a reported budget of ₹60–80 crore, falling short of its target for recovery. Mixed reviews highlighted a predictable screenplay, a lack of freshness, and a formulaic narrative, all of which dulled its appeal. The film’s performance was further impacted by stiff competition from Kantara: Chapter 1, which dominated the box office during the same period. Though it offered moments of light-hearted escapism for fans, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari ultimately adds to Varun Dhawan’s post-2018 string of flops, reinforcing the need for a serious reinvention of his cinematic choices to reconnect with changing audience tastes.
To conclude would not be fair, for nothing ends here. Phases come and go, and sometimes such phases don’t remain in your highest favour. And we learn this from the best people, that it always takes alignment, not time, but alignment to reach the pinnacle. And with that we are all hoping for a bloom for Varun Dhawan, soon.
