4 min readMumbaiMay 24, 2026 01:07 PM IST
Actor Varun Dhawan has opened up about how the failure of Kalank deeply affected him after a streak of successful films. During a candid conversation with father David Dhawan, the actor admitted that the setback left him shaken, especially because “it was the hardest we had worked as a team.”
Varun Dhawan on Kalank’s failure
During a conversation hosted by Radio Nasha, Varun Dhawan spoke to his father David Dhawan about how he navigated both failures and success in his career. The Border 2 actor said, “When I had my first flop, it shook me up very badly. Until then, there was a streak of success.” Varun also recalled how David told him that there is a law of averages in the industry, and added, “I never understood it because I had worked very hard on that film.”
Also Read: David Dhawan breaks down talking about son Varun Dhawan: ‘Everybody should have a son like him’
David then reflected on the one film failure that genuinely disappointed him. “In one film, I really got depressed… he was doing well. Even when I went to see his first film, I remember he was feeling nervous, but when I saw the climax, I said, ‘You have done it well.’ When Student Of The Year was released, at night we received a message from Amitabh Bachchan – ‘lambi race ka ghoda (In for a long haul).’ So I was relaxed. But the film I got disappointed with was a very big one, I think Karan (Johar) must have sold his last shirt also for it, it was Kalank. I also asked Sanjay Dutt if he did the film just because Madhuri Dixit was in it. Sanjay was very upset about doing that film.”
Reflecting on Kalank, Varun said the film’s failure was particularly painful for the team. He said, “Kalank didn’t work, but there was a lot of hard work we put there. It was the hardest we had worked as a team, so we didn’t understand why it didn’t work. My father kept saying it’s a law of averages, so move on and do more work.” David chimed in, “Being selective doesn’t work in this line of profession.”
About Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
Varun Dhawan will be next seen in romantic comedy Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, which is directed by David Dhawan. The film’s trailer was released on Saturday. Talking about the film, David said, “People don’t experiment today; they are very scared. If there is a scene that needs to be done differently, nobody goes bold.” Varun also called the film unapologetic and said, “The film’s jokes are out there, it’s very frontfoot. The film can be criticized for certain jokes as they have double-meaning jokes. There are all types of jokes.” David added, “There is one such joke. Today, you cannot degrade a woman in any film; the censor board will only reject that. So, I was very careful with the film. I was being sensitive. I played with the hero as much as I could, but didn’t take that liberty with the actresses. There was no script.”
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, also starrng Mrunal Thakur, and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles, is slated to release on June 5, 2026.
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