MUMBAI — Bollywood star Varun Dhawan led heart-felt tributes to his father, veteran director David Dhawan, as the legendary comedy filmmaker celebrated his milestone 75th birthday on Sunday, August 16.
The October actor shared a candid photograph on his official Instagram handle, posing with his arm wrapped around his father in a warm embrace. Celebrating the director’s trademark laid-back personality and enduring work ethic, Varun captioned the post, "Happy birthday to the chillest dad..75 hard."
The post quickly drew warm wishes from across the Hindi film industry. Actress Karisma Kapoor, who headlined many of David’s career-defining 1990s blockbusters, commented, "Happy 75th to Davidji."
A Star-Studded Milestone Gathering
The 75th birthday celebration was marked by a private, high-profile gathering in Mumbai attended by close family members, long-time industry collaborators, and key Hindi cinema figures.
Veteran screenwriter and director Rumy Jafry shared exclusive glimpses of the evening's festivities on social media. The shared album documented key moments from the cake-cutting ceremony, showing guests gathered around the veteran filmmaker:
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Industry Icons: Superstar Salman Khan—a frequent collaborator on seminal David Dhawan hits such as Judwaa, Biwi No.1, and Partner—attended the event, posing for group photographs alongside David, Varun, and producer Sajid Nadiadwala.
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Family Moments: Guests applauded as Varun shared a tender moment with his father, planting a kiss on his cheek before the ceremonial cake cutting.
A Decades-Long Cinematic Legacy
David Dhawan remains one of the most commercially successful directors in mainstream Hindi cinema, having directed over 40 feature films and defining the slapstick comedy genre throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
In the past decade, David seamlessly transitioned into directing his son Varun, creating a successful father-son artistic collaboration across four films:
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Main Tera Hero (2014): Marking their first joint project, the romantic comedy featured Varun alongside Ileana D'Cruz and Nargis Fakhri.
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Judwaa 2 (2017): A high-concept reboot of David’s 1997 hit, featuring Varun in a dual role alongside Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu.
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Coolie No. 1 (2020): A modern adaptation of the 1995 classic original starring Govinda, pairing Varun with Sara Ali Khan.
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Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai (2026): Their most recent collaborative romantic entertainer, co-starring Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde.
Industry colleagues and fans continue to flood social media platforms with tributes, celebrating David Dhawan’s five-decade contribution to Indian commercial cinema as he enters his 75th year.