Varun Dhawan Recalls How Karan Johar Launched Him in Student of the Year After his Stint as an Assistant Director in My Name is Khan

Varun Dhawan took a trip down memory lane that marked his entry into Bollywood. The actor opened up about how working as an Assistant Director in My Name is Khan helped him learn the craft of filmmaking before facing the camera. During an appearance on ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’, Varun Dhawan revealed how Karan Johar offered him Student Of The Year, which also marked the big Bollywood debuts of Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra.

Before becoming an actor, Varun Dhawan desired to understand filmmaking from behind the camera. That’s when he decided to step into the shoes of an Assistant Director, which led him to join the team of Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. Recalling the instance, Varun shared, “I told my mother that I wanted to assist Karan Johar. I went and met him and eventually began assisting him.” This opportunity allowed him to understand filmmaking closely, including the creative and technical aspects of cinema.

Veteran filmmaker David Dhawan also revealed that Varun Dhawan was deeply focused on learning the craft, and he executed every task assigned to him. Opening about the same, he shared, “He assisted Karan Johar on My Name Is Khan. Whatever work he was given, he did it sincerely. I was very busy at that time.” As per the filmmaker, Varun Dhawan remained dedicated to his craft as an Assistant Director and did not resolve to shortcuts while working.

The game-changing point arrived in Varun’s career when Karan Johar approached the family and expressed his desire to launch fresh faces, an aspect that the filmmaker had in mind already. David Dhawan revealed that KJo conducted a photoshoot featuring the trio, which later played a crucial part in shaping the ambitious film. Looking back at the memory, David Dhawan shared, “One day Karan said that next time he would come with photographs. He did a photoshoot with Siddharth and Varun, and Alia was also there. He showed the photos and said, ‘This is the pair. I am going to produce and direct the film.'”

In 2012, Varun Dhawan made a banging entry into Bollywood with Student of the Year, a coming-of-age drama that quickly gained a genuine young audience. Now, the actor was recently seen in Border 2, which received positive reviews from the audience and critics, and emerged as a hit at the box office.