Comedian Tanmay Bhat recently left actor Varun Dhawan in splits after taking a humourous swipe at his recent box office performance during a YouTube video. The light-hearted exchange, which also featured comedians Rohan Joshi, Piyush Sharma and Zakir Khan, went viral on social media.
Varun appeared on Tanmay’s YouTube channel to promote his latest release, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. During one of the conversations, the comedian jokingly compared the film’s prospects to the success of Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar franchise.
“The amount of hard work you are putting in promoting the film (Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai) is commendable because it takes some kind of optimism to work this hard to get 1 per cent of Dhurandhar box office numbers,” Tanmay joked.
Rather than taking offence, Varun responded with a laugh and joined in on the joke. “I think post Dhurandhar we are living with this weight ki bhai hum bhi kuch na kuch karle (Brother, we also have to do something).”
The exchange comes at a time when Dhurandhar remains one of the biggest success stories in Indian cinema. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the first installment was released in December 2025 and reportedly collected over Rs 1,307 crore worldwide. Its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, released earlier this year and went on to earn more than Rs 1,812 crore globally. Together, the franchise has crossed the Rs 3,000 crore mark worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing film series in India.
The action franchise featured a star-studded cast including Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi in key roles.
Meanwhile, Varun’s latest outing, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, hit theatres on June 5. Directed by David Dhawan, the romantic comedy also stars Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde in lead roles, alongside Rakesh Bedi, Jimmy Shergill, Maniesh Paul and Mouni Roy.
The film opened to mixed reviews and registered a modest start at the domestic box office. It reportedly earned Rs 7.50 crore net on its opening day in India, placing it among the lowest openings of Varun’s career.
