Varun Dhawan’s ‘Director’s Win’ Comment On Dhurandhar Sparks Debate, Fans Defend Ranveer Singh

Varun Dhawan has sparked an online debate after calling Dhurandhar a “director’s win” during a conversation with David Dhawan. While he praised Aditya Dhar’s filmmaking, a section of Ranveer Singh’s fans felt the comment reduced his contribution to the blockbuster franchise.

Image Credit - Jiohotstar, Instagram

Varun Dhawan has landed at the centre of controversy after his comment about the blockbuster movie Dhurandhar went viral on social media. During a PVR initiative on the sidelines of the David Dhawan Film Festival, Varun described the massive success of Dhurandhar as a director’s win.  This single statement has offended Ranveer Singh’s fans and ultimately resulted in backlash. 

What Varun Dhawan Said About Dhurandhar

Image credit - Instagram

During the interaction, Varun Dhawan asked his father, David Dhawan, why filmmakers often struggle to make films freely without outside pressure and public scrutiny. He replied that the industry has changed significantly because everyone now expresses opinions online, which has made it difficult to judge box office success effectively. 

He said, "I think anyone who has a pen and a phone feels they are a journalist. It has become very difficult. I can't figure out which film became a hit and which one didn't. It's very difficult to gauge collections.”

He further said, “But again, it’s run by the actors. Pehle bhi tha, abhi bhi hai (It existed earlier too, and it still exists now).” David indicates that the actors run the industry instead of online critics. 

After that, Varun said, “Why do you feel that? Today, when you see Dhurandhar, you see someone like Aditya Dhar and the way he made the film. Toh woh toh director ki jeet thi na? (So that was the director's win right?).”

David didn’t completely agree with his statement as he said actor ka bada haath hota hai (Actors have a bigger role in it).

The conversation became more controversial when David joked that actors often think about their own careers first. Varun also agreed that the actors can be insecure. 

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Internet Reacts Strongly To Varun’s Comment

Social media users started reacting to Varun’s statement after the clip came online. Many fans believed his comment unintentionally reduced Ranveer’s contribution to the success of Dhurandhar. 

Several users believed Ranveer’s performance and argued that Ranveer’s screen presence has played an equal role to Aditya’s direction. A user also points out that a successful film is always a team effort, and direction is not enough to make it succeed. Another fan also claimed that Ranveer was the best thing about the franchise as he carried emotional intensity throughout both instalments. 

Some users even accused Varun Dhawan of sounding insecure while comparing himself to Ranveer Singh’s recent success. A few comments also point out that the actors often get blamed for failures, but the credit shifts to the director when it becomes successful. 

The debate has now become one of the most trending discussions online. Fans are, however, divided over whether Varun Dhawan’s statement on Dhurandhar was misunderstood pr genuinely dismissive towards Ranveer’s contribution. 

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Dhurandhar Became One Of Indian Cinema’s Biggest Hits

Dhurandhar became one of the biggest Indian film franchises in recent years. Aditya Dhar’s directorial stars Ranveer Singh with Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, and Rakesh Bedi. 

The first instalment reportedly earned ₹1300 crore worldwide and became a massive commercial success. The sequel performed better and pushed it into the list of the highest-grossing Indian movies, as it crossed ₹1,800 crore globally. 

Besides its box-office performance, Dhurandhar also became a talking point due to its political themes, storytelling style, and action scale. 

Varun Dhawan Preparing For Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai

Varun Dhawan, meanwhile, is currently preparing for the release of his upcoming comedy entertainer Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai under the direction of David Dhawan. 

Apart from Varun, Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde, Jimmy Shergill, and Mouni Roy are also there in important roles. Fans have already started appreciating its trailer and songs. 

Fans are eager to see if the ongoing social media discussion surrounding Varun’s statement will continue in the upcoming days or disappear as the new Bollywood releases come. 

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Published: 26 May 2026 at 10:31 PM IST