Harshada Rege (DNA; April 24, 2018)

Varun Dhawan is on a roll. The 31-year-old, who is among the most successful actors of his generation, has not only garnered a lot of appreciation for his performance in October, but also bagged some plum projects. These films, which are being made by the biggest banners in B-Town, will see him share screen space with a few leading ladies for the first time.

ON THE LIST
The actor is already working on Sui Dhaaga: Made in India, which will be his last release this year (September 28). The next biggie in his kitty is Kalank, which is being directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala and Fox Star Studios. The shoot of the period drama, which also stars Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur, is currently underway. It is expected to wrap up around November-end and will hit the marquee on April 19, 2019. Post that, he gets a breather in December. Apart from taking some time off, the star will also undergo rigorous training for Remo D’souza’s ambitious project. Says a source, “There were reports that the actor will begin shooting the film in December. But this will actually be his turnaround time where he is likely to plan a vacation and train in various dance forms. The movie, which will see Varun collaborate with his ABCD 2 director Remo, will have some hardcore dancing. Though he is easily among the top dancers in the industry, he will definitely hone his skills furthermore for the film that is being made in the 4DX format. The team is likely to begin shooting in January and the dance flick is slated to release in November 2019.”

PLANNING 2020
Varun will then be seen in Rannbhoomi, which is also being made under his mentor’s banner, Dharma Productions. For this, he will once again team up with his Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania director Shashank Khaitan. The warrior film, which showcases love, relationships, sacrifices and revenge, opens in cinemas during Diwali 2020. The actor has also hinted that he may make time for a project with dad David Dhawan, which will ensure that Rannbhoomi won’t be his only release that year.

FIRST-TIME JODIS
This year, Varun has been seen opposite heroines with whom he hasn’t been paired before. Though he had worked with Jacqueline in Dishoom and Judwaa 2, the latter saw him romance Taapsee Pannu for the first time. In October, he played Dan alongside newbie Banita Sandhu. While he has been paired opposite Anushka Sharma in Sui Dhaaga, Remo’s movie will see him shake a leg with Katrina Kaif. It’s not known whether Sonakshi will play his love interest in Kalank, as it also features Alia, with whom he has worked in three films.