Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, the dynamic Bollywood combination, took center stage on Karan Johar’s legendary sofa in a recent episode of Koffee With Karan that had fans buzzing with anticipation. The audience was given an intimate glimpse into the common past of these two actors, who first appeared together in Karan Johar’s 2012 film Student of the Year, through the revelations and open discussions that flowed as freely as the coffee.
Their co-star and close friend Alia Bhatt, who was unable to join them in person, made sure her presence was felt online with a recorded message featured in the episode. Alia talked nostalgically about their incredible first meeting on the Koffee With Karan sofa, making light of her notorious “President answer oopsie.” In some manner, she relieved her fear of missing out (FOMO) by expressing her happiness at being a part of the episode.
In addition, Alia expressed gratitude to Sidharth for gifting her Edward, her cat, the “first love of her life”. Despite their distinct paths, the trio demonstrated a friendship that has endured the passage of time and changing careers, making viewers feel both sentimental and excited for more from these Bollywood icons.
While the three were reminiscing about their early professional days, Karan revealed something shocking: Varun and Sidharth had originally objected to Alia being cast as Shanaya in Student Of The Year. “I still recall how you two texted me after Alia entered the room the first time, telling me you couldn’t cast her. During the open discussion, Karan revealed, “One of you said she’s too young.”
Varun laughed as he acknowledged his first hesitation, saying, “No no…I didn’t know her.” But ever the honest presenter, Karan Johar retorted, saying, “Stop acting fake. Varun, what garbage are you talking about? You didn’t want me to cast her, so you kept sending me pictures of other girls.” The mechanics of casting decisions behind closed doors were exposed by the spilling of the truth.
Sidharth continued the trip down memory lane by offering further details about the three actors’ friendship. He accepted that Alia was now the weak link in the already exciting three. Sidharth reflected on Alia’s path and said, “But see, that was what was wonderful, that she was the underdog within the underdogs here already, then she emerged.”
A shocking turn of events in the show unveiled a little-known story from the three actors’ formative years in the business: while serving as assistant directors on Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, Varun and Sidharth did more than just carry out their jobs; they also became involved in a romantic relationship with costume department ladies. Karan, in typical comic fashion, revealed that the head of the costume department thought so much of their relationship was distracting that he should send them home.
The topic of Varun and Sidharth’s friendship came to light as the revelations continued. In response to the question of why they aren’t friends, Sidharth said that it’s tough for actors to develop close relationships unless they grew up together. With a more balanced viewpoint, Varun said, “We’re not enemies either. We will always have a bond between us. It takes place in movies. You simply wind up spending more time with the people you work with frequently.”
The Koffee With Karan episode featuring Varun and Sidharth provided not just a peek into the glamorous world of Bollywood but also an intimate look at the friendships, revelations, and laughter that lie beneath the surface.
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