Varun Dhawan reacts to gossip around cutting co-stars’ scenes: ''Narratives don’t matter'

Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan's Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari was released in theatres on October 2. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, the multi-starrer also features Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf in lead roles. In the days leading up to the release, there was a social media narrative claiming that Sanya and Rohit were being sidelined during promotions as they are outsiders. Rumors also suggested that Varun had allegedly asked the director to cut his co-stars' scenes to maintain focus on him. Now, Varun has addressed these online speculations.

Varun on being called a scene-cutter

During an interview with BBC Asian Network, the host asked Varun and Janhvi about him being labeled an "overly competitive and scene-cutting co-star." Before Varun could respond, Janhvi Kapoor defended him, saying, "He is the last person who would do that. For the record, I have been in this industry for 6-7 years, worked with enough people, and heard enough stories. He is, maybe, one of the only people who is so secure and wise enough to understand that a movie is a collective effort, and so he gets a lot of joy in building other people up."

Varun then addressed the gossip surrounding him during Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari promotions. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which way the narrative swings. I don't like to pay attention to that. My friendships with my co-stars over the years are a testament to that. I do feel I have a lot of love from my fans who have always stood by me. All around the world, they have always had my back, whether hits or flops."

Box Office collection of SSKTK

According to official figures, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari earned Rs 10.11 crore on day one. Despite clashing with Kantara Chapter 1, it managed a double-digit opening, aided by strong evening and night shows due to the Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra holidays.

With this collection, Janhvi Kapoor has a big reason to celebrate as the film marked her highest opener at the Indian box office. Her top three openers now include Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (Rs 10.11 crore), Dhadak (Rs 8.71 crore), and Param Sundari (Rs 7.37 crore).

However, Rishab Shetty's Kantara Chapter 1, the Kannada prequel, dominated the box office with a massive pan-India opening of over ₹60 crore net, including Rs 19.5 crore in Hindi and Rs 40.5 crore across other languages.