'Border 2': Karan Johar extends support to Varun Dhawan amid trolling; says, 'You can troll an artist for his smile, but…'

Karan Johar decided to hit back at the people who trolled Varun Dhawan recently on social media. The filmmaker didn't mention the actor's name but highlighted how his performance in the latest release, 'Border 2', will shut up everyone spreading negativity around him. Let's take a look at what he has to say.

Karan Johar lauds Varun Dhawan indirectly

On his Instagram Story, Karan Johar posted a note dedicated to Varun Dhawan and lashed out at everyone who trolled his smile. The filmmaker wrote, "Has to be said… the reason why it’s called a virtual world! Real will always score and prove the noise on social media as defunct! You can troll an artist for his smile, but then he laughs when the film releases to packed houses and he receives pure, authentic audience love! So noisemakers and clickbait-seeking content creators can do what they like… Truth will always prevail!”

Just before this IG story, Karan Johar had shared a poster of 'Border 2' and hailed the war drama. He wrote, "Border 2 moved me to tears in many scenes! Patriotism with a beating heart!! Sure shot WINNER!"

Why was Varun Dhawan trolled?

People trolled Varun Dhawan for his smile and expressed that he doesn't fit in patriotic movies or in the role of a soldier. A section of trolls made these comments since they felt that the actor has a fun and urban image. They went on to claim that the war drama might fail just because of Varun Dhawan.

More about Varun Dhawan and 'Border 2'

In the film, Varun Dhawan plays the role of PVC Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiya. The martyred soldier led the soldiers with his courage during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. He was honored with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest gallantry award.

Directed by Anurag Singh, the film stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty, Mona Singh, Medha Rana, Anya Singh, and Sonam Bajwa. The movie was released in theaters today, on January 23, 2026, and opened to mixed reviews from the audience.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”