Suniel Shetty defends Varun Dhawan amid Border 2 trolling, says judging without watching is unfair

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan is preparing for the release of his upcoming film Border 2. He recently faced online criticism after the song Ghar Kab Aaoge was unveiled, with sections of social media questioning his casting.

As the backlash gathered pace, original Border actor Suniel Shetty came out in support of Varun Dhawan and criticised the tendency to judge films prematurely. Speaking to Bombay Times, Shetty questioned the basis of the criticism, pointing out that audiences have only seen limited visuals so far. “Has anybody seen the film (Border 2)? Nobody has seen the film. We’ve seen glimpses of the film. Varun Dhawan will kill it in the film, he’s outstanding. Varun is not playing himself; he is playing a decorated officer who’s given his life for the country. So, I think we should think a little bit before we go out there and say these things. Today, it’s very easy to trash someone and run them down,” he said.

In the same conversation, Suniel Shetty also reflected on how failure is perceived in the Hindi film industry and the pressure actors face. “We always want our kids to be happy, and I am not talking about success. I’m scared of failure in the industry and not of success. In other fields, when you fall, you get up and start walking. Here, when you fall, the world looks at you, and they make you feel that you’re nothing. People feel that Hindi film actors are illiterate; they don’t know anything. We know a lot and we are smart. In today’s times, failure is sometimes more celebrated than success. It’s a fact,” he added.

Amid the chatter, Varun Dhawan responded calmly. He shared pictures in a black suit while introducing his character, Major Hoshiyar Singh Dahiya.

A comment questioning his acting drew attention, to which Varun replied, “Yeh sawaal ne gaana hit karadia. Sab enjoy kar rahe hai. Rab di mehar.”

The original Border, directed by JP Dutta, released in 1997 and remains a landmark film. Border 2 features Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Sonam Bajwa, Ahan Shetty, Mona Singh, Medha Rana and Anya Singh, and releases on January 23.