From Student to Soldier – Varun Dhawan makes a full genre shift
When Varun Dhawan first appeared on screen in Student of the Year, he looked like a star who had arrived fully formed. He was fit, confident, fluent in dance, romance and swagger. The film needed him to be glossy and aspirational, and that’s exactly what he delivered. At the time, it felt like the beginning of a trajectory you could see coming, be it hit songs, big banners or safe choices. But Varun Dhawan’s career was meant to surprise us and well, that he did!
The Student Phase
Student of the Year gave him visibility. He was playing a college kid and the performance leaned heavily on him running, dancing, showing up as the alpha male of the film. It announced his comfort with the camera and with commercial Hindi cinema. But more than anything else, he showed everyone what the new age charming young man is all about!
Finding the Lover, Not the Poster Boy
That image softened noticeably with Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. Set far away from elite campuses, the film required Varun to be vulnerable. The success of the film showed that Dhawan could connect beyond urban audiences, grounding his stardom in familiarity. His dance and chemistry with Alia Bhatt aside, what people remember the affability of Humpty.
The Big Headturner
Badlapur changed the conversation. For the first time, Varun Dhawan the star gave way to the solid actor in him who could mix up genres and hold your attention. His character was consumed by grief and revenge. The film asked him to sit in anger without relief. It was a risky choice for an actor still early in his career and it paid off by recalibrating how seriously he was taken. He surprised everyone with the chops he showed and standing at par with Nawazuddin Siddiqui on screen!
Using the Body as Craft
ABCD 2 reminded audiences of something else Varun brought to the table — discipline. Dance, in this film, was all about effort, rehearsal, injury and the zest of not giving up. It showed how seriously he treated physical preparation, something that would later serve him well in more demanding roles of his career. Also, VD dances like a dream, his fans concur!
Learning to Be Quiet
Then came October, a film that worked almost against everything Varun Dhawan was known for. There were no punchlines, no big emotional speeches. His character spoke little, reacted slowly and carried melancholy without explanation. The performance depended on patience and that’s something mainstream stars are rarely asked to show. It wasn’t a box-office driven choice but it was a telling one because it showed how far Varun Dhawan would go to become the actor he is.
Stepping into the Ordinary
In Sui Dhaaga, he leaned into ordinariness. His body language changed as he slouched shoulders, moved hesitantly and went through spells of awkward silences. Varun resisted the temptation to overplay it which anyone else would have tried to dramatise the part. But he remain real. It marked a phase where he began choosing stories that spoke to work, self-respect and survival rather than fantasy alone.
Playing with Genres
Bhediya might look like a detour but even here, Dhawan anchored the supernatural with the punch it deserves. The transformation into a werewolf was played flawlessly by him and the humour around the character lands well. The film allowed him to experiment without losing emotional grounding and spoke of the far reaching impact of deforestation. It’s garnered a cult following over the years and now fans are awaiting the sequel with bated breath!
From Fiction to the Uniform
With Border 2, Varun Dhawan enters a space that carries real weight. Playing a soldier who is a war veteran demanded his all and he didn’t hold back. Playing Hoshiar Singh Dahiya needed strength of character, on ground preparation and physical tenacity and he brough forth his A-game. For him, playing a real life war hero meant living up to his legacy and he left no stone unturned to do justice to the part. This movie also carries forward the legacy of its first part and stays away from chest-thumping heroism to tell the real story of those who inhabit the world of bravado and duty. Stripping himself off every ounce of stardom he has gathered in the past decade to embrace the most challenging role of his career, Varun Dhawan did what he does the best – submit to the movie wholeheartedly.
Varun Dhawan’s evolution has been steady and impressive, and he carries a wide range of roles with remarkable ease. His career choices point to an actor consciously expanding his craft within mainstream cinema, and going by the first look of Border 2, the payoff appears just around the corner.