Varun Badola feels Saiyaara with Shah Rukh Khan would flop: 'Too big for the film'

Varun Badola talks about Shah Rukh Khan

Actor Varun Badola is getting praise for his stellar performance in the latest blockbuster, Saiyaara. He has recently reflected on the success of the film and the compliments that he has been receiving lately. However, he has claimed that if the film featured Shah Rukh Khan in the lead, then King Khan would have overshadowed his presence.

During his recent appearance on a YouTube podcast hosted by Nayandeep Rakshit, Varun expressed strong disagreement with the claims that Saiyaara’s success proves stars aren’t essential for a hit.

He also remarked that Jawan would likely have flopped if Ahaan Panday had played the lead role instead of Shah Rukh.

Varun said, “People are saying that this film has proven that we don’t need stars anymore. That’s not true. Abhi tum Ahaan Panday ko utha ke Jawan mein daalo, Jawan flop ho jayegi (Try putting Ahaan Panday in Jawan, Jawan will flop).”

He explained, “Shah Rukh ko Saiyaara mein daal do, Saiyaara flop ho jayegi (Put Shah Rukh in Saiyaara, and Saiyaara will flop). Shah Rukh will suddenly become too big for the film, and Ahaan will not have the personality to run Jawan.”

He was also questioned about his predictions for Ahaan's future career during the conversation.  Varun refused to comment, stating that Ahaan's personal decisions would ultimately determine the outcome.

He also discussed the current controversy surrounding nepotism and the rise in popularity of content-driven film, pointing out that it would be oversimplified to discount the role of stars entirely. Varun suggested, “It’s about matching the right talent to the right story.”

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Starring debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Mohit Suri's Saiyaara turned out to be an unexpected hit. The film broke all previous records and became the highest-grossing Indian romantic film ever, earning over Rs 500 crore worldwide.

Saiyaara revolves around a struggling and troubled musician, Krissh Kapoor, who meets an aspiring journalist and a poet, Vaani Batra (played by Aneet Padda). They fall in love with one another while they are working together. Varun essayed the role of Ahaan aka Krish Kapoor's father.