In 1998, two Bollywood blockbusters clashed at the box office: David Dhawan’s comedy Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Karan Johar’s romantic drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Little did Varun Dhawan know that he’d have to pick between these two giants – his father’s film and his favorite movie at the time, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
Reminiscing about that memorable experience, Varun recently shared a humorous anecdote in an interview with The Indian Express. “The Bade Miyan Chote Miyan premiere was in London. I don’t know why they did it there, and the producers had got us a limousine with faces of Govinda and Amitabh Bachchan pasted on it,” he recalled.
The limo with Govinda and Amitabh’s faces was a sight to see, turning heads in London. But Varun’s mind was elsewhere. As he revealed, “I was dying t watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and I didn’t even know Karan at that point of time.”
The young Varun was adamant about his choice, much to his father’s dismay. Choosing a film other than his father’s was a bit of a taboo, especially since they were in London for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan‘s big premiere. David Dhawan was certainly not pleased with his son’s refusal to watch his film.
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As Varun said, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai just felt like a cooler film, but my dad was like, ‘Stop it, I will leave you on the streets here.’” Varun’s response? “I remember telling him you can’t treat children here like this, and my dad was like, ‘He is so badly behaved, why did I get him here?’”
This clash wasn’t just a personal struggle; it reflected a larger rivalry at the box office. David Dhawan’s comedy with Bollywood’s superstar duo, Govinda and Amitabh, brought in crowds due to its mass appeal.
However, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai went on to become a cultural phenomenon. Varun humorously noted that although Bade Miyan Chote Miyan had a successful opening, “Day one of Bade Miyan was bigger because of the mass factor, but obviously Kuch Kuch Hota Hai went on to become huge.”
Ironically, Varun’s career would come full circle, as he made his Bollywood debut in 2012 under Karan Johar’s direction in Student of the Year, establishing a successful actor-director relationship that continued with Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and Kalank.
He also expanded his range with movies like Badlapur, ABCD 2, Judwaa 2, and Bhediya. Today, Varun is looking forward to the release of his espionage thriller Citadel: Honey Bunny on Prime Video, co-starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Though Varun didn’t know Karan Johar in 1998, his love for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai inadvertently foreshadowed his future as one of the director’s rising stars. Now, after years in the industry and a string of hits, Varun’s connection to Bollywood is stronger than ever, and both Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan remain part of his cherished film memories.
