While Varun Dhawan may be the most bankable star of his generation, what’s equally impressive is his artistic range. But where do his own sensibilities lie? Omkar Khandekar investigates
By the time Varun Dhawan turns up for our interview at Body Sculptor gym in suburban Mumbai, I’ve declined two cups of coffee, checked Facebook eight times and small-talked the hell out of his personal trainer. I’m just about to start memorising the dishes served at the gym’s in-house café – organic gourmet fare for kale-quinoa-avocado junkies – when Dhawan breezes in, 50 minutes late. He’s wearing a body-hugging tee, black joggers and a beanie. He’s spotted me, he only has to quickly finish greeting his trainer and bantering with a couple of gym buddies who now surround him.
“Sorry, man, I was coming here and there was an accident between a bike and an autowallah,” he tells me as we shake hands. “I got down to help, but people started taking pictures.”
Of course they did. Dhawan is one of Bollywood’s most successful stars, with a chiselled body, a winning smile and family and friends at the top rungs of the industry. In his ten-film career, the 31-year-old has delivered hits more consistently than any of his contemporaries. He might be clueless about the Indian hinterland (he visited a “gaon” for the first time while shooting for his latest, Sui Dhaaga), but his high-octane pelvic thrusts and skirt-chasing histrionics pull the biggest crowds there as well. It’s a phenomenon even Salman Khan, the OG king of the masses, acknowledges: In a recent interview, he said Dhawan was a blend of Govinda, Sanjay Dutt and himself.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2018 من GQ India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2018 من GQ India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.