‘Border 2’: Varun Dhawan reveals wife Natasha Dalal and Sunny Deol gave identical advice and Salman Khan’s prediction proved right

While promoting ‘Border 2’, Varun Dhawan opened up about a piece of guidance from his wife Natasha Dalal that deeply stayed with him. According to the actor, she encouraged him to maintain a sense of mystery by limiting public appearances and social media activity. Her belief was that restraint would allow his work to shine louder than constant visibility.

Recalling her words, Varun shared with OTT Play, “She was like... woh hamesha bolti hai, ‘I knew it, you always have it in yourself. Bas tumhe khud ko challenge karna hai.’ Abhi yahi hai ki zyaada post mat karo, zyaada dikho mat. Zyaada bolo mat. Ghar pe bhi bolti hai zyaada bolo mat, bahaar bhi bolti hai zyaada bolo mat.”(She always says, “I knew it, you always had it in you. You just need to challenge yourself.” Now she keeps telling me not to post too much, not to be seen too much, not to speak too much. She says this at home and outside as well.)

Sunny Deol echoes the same guidance

Interestingly, Dhawan revealed that his co-star Sunny Deol offered him almost identical advice. The actor found it amusing that both his wife and the veteran star were on the same page about maintaining a quieter public presence. Sharing the coincidence, Varun laughed and said, "Haan, Sunny sir aur dharam patni same baat bolte hai."(Yes, Sunny sir and my wife say the exact same thing.)

Salman Khan’s prediction that came true

Before the release of ‘Border 2’, Varun had faced online trolling, a phase that left him uncertain. During that time, he reached out to Salman Khan, who reassured him with remarkable confidence. The superstar, known for weathering public scrutiny himself, predicted a positive turnaround. Varun recalled, “I got a call from Salman bhai at night, and he was just laughing. He just told me, "Good things are about to come."

After the film’s strong reception, Salman called again with a heartfelt message: “I am proud of you, beta.” Varun admitted this meant a lot, adding, “That was a very defining moment for me because he doesn’t praise people easily.”

From criticism to applause

The 'Badlapur' actor noted that the same voices that criticised him before the release later applauded his performance once audiences watched the film. With encouragement from his closest circle and validation from a superstar, the journey of ‘Border 2’ turned into a deeply personal milestone for Varun Dhawan.

Border 2' box office collection

The Sunny Deol and Varun Dhawan starrer war drama opened to Rs 30 crore, despite mixed reviews from the critics. The makers capitalized on the Republic Day holiday, and it worked in their favor. Now, according to the Sacnilk report, the movie has earned Rs 1.75 crore at the box office.

About 'Border 2'

Directed by Anurag Singh, the film features Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty. While Sunny and Varun are Indian Army officials, Diljit and Ahan are Indian Airforce and Indian Navy officials, respectively. The movie was released in theatres on January 23, 2026.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”