Varun Dhawan Was Not the First Choice for ‘Badlapur’ – Here’s the Real Story

Recently, Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan celebrated 13 years in the film industry. On this occasion, let’s take a look back at one of his most intense and career-defining films – Badlapur. But did y

Varun Wasn’t the First Choice

Recently, Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan celebrated 13 years in the film industry. On this occasion, let’s take a look back at one of his most intense and career-defining films – Badlapur. But did you know that Varun wasn’t the first choice for the film? Yes, that’s absolutely true!

Varun Dhawan recently celebrated his 38th birthday, marking over a decade in Bollywood. While he’s known for his charming, energetic roles, one film that truly showcased his range as a serious actor was the 2015 thriller Badlapur. Interestingly, director Sriram Raghavan has revealed that Varun wasn’t even in his mind when the film was being written.

In fact, Raghavan had actors like Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in mind for the lead. Badlapur, a gritty action-thriller, featured Varun in the central role, alongside Yami Gautam and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in key supporting parts.

Don't Make This Film," Said Close Confidants

In a recent interview, Raghavan shared that while writing the film, he was thinking of intense actors like Irrfan. However, when he first narrated the story to his close collaborator Sanjay and his brother (and screenwriter) Shridhar Raghavan, their reaction was quite unexpected. They found the story “too dark” and advised him not to make the film at all. “I was considering actors like Irrfan Khan,” Raghavan said, “but Sanjay and Shridhar told me—‘Don’t do it.’”

The Turning Point: Meeting Dinesh Vijan

Despite the pushback, Raghavan continued to develop the story. Later, he pitched it to producer Dinesh Vijan, who loved the script—but on one condition: that the story wouldn't be diluted or compromised in any way. When Vijan asked who Raghavan had in mind for the lead, Raghavan mentioned Saif Ali Khan. But since their previous collaboration Agent Vinod didn’t perform well, he felt Saif wouldn’t take it up.

That’s when Dinesh Vijan came up with an unexpected suggestion—Varun Dhawan. A commercial hero with a massive youth following, Varun seemed like a bold and unlikely choice for a dark revenge drama. Raghavan admits he was skeptical at first. But as discussions progressed, he began to see the potential: “Casting a younger actor made sense. Young people understand both love and loss. And honestly, I didn’t hate the idea.”

And so, Varun Dhawan landed the lead role in Badlapur—a decision that turned out to be a game-changer.

From Small Budget to Big Box Office

Though it was a risky move, casting Varun paid off brilliantly. He surprised everyone with his intense and mature performance, earning praise from critics and audiences alike. Made on a modest budget of ₹16 crore, Badlapur went on to gross over ₹81 crore at the box office. It became both a critical and commercial success—and firmly established Varun Dhawan as an actor capable of pulling off layered, emotionally heavy roles.

What’s Next for Varun?

Looking ahead, Varun Dhawan has several exciting films lined up, including Border 2, Bhediya 2, and Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari. He was last seen in Baby John.

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