Last Updated:January 23, 2026, 19:54 IST

Karan Johar backs Varun Dhawan amid Border 2 trolling over his smile, criticising clickbait content creators and highlighting the film’s packed theatres and audience love.

Karan Johar has defended Varun Dhawan after the actor was trolled for his smile in Border 2, slamming clickbait culture and celebrating the film’s strong audience response.

Filmmaker Karan Johar has come out strongly in support of Varun Dhawan after the actor faced intense online trolling over his expressions in Border 2. Varun was particularly targeted for his smile in the film’s trailer and songs, with several social media users questioning whether he was suited for a war drama of this scale.

However, the discourse appears to have shifted sharply following Border 2’s theatrical release on Friday, January 23. With packed theatres, positive word-of-mouth, and encouraging early audience reactions, the film’s reception has prompted Karan Johar to address the criticism head-on.

‘Real Will Always Score’: Karan Slams Online Negativity

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Karan criticised what he described as the hollow noise of social media outrage and click-driven commentary. Without naming anyone directly, his post was widely interpreted as a clear defence of Varun Dhawan.

“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,” Karan wrote.

Referring pointedly to the trolling Varun endured, he added, “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.”

Karan further took a swipe at online critics and content creators who thrive on outrage, stating, “So noisemakers and clickbait seeking content creators can do what they like truth will always prevail.”

While the filmmaker did not explicitly mention Varun Dhawan, the timing of the post—coinciding with Border 2’s release—left little doubt among fans about whom the message was meant for.

Varun Dhawan’s Performance Finds Audience Love

Since the film’s release, Varun Dhawan’s performance has been receiving appreciation from viewers, many of whom have praised his emotional restraint, screen presence, and growth as an actor. The initial criticism around his expressions appears to have been drowned out by audience reactions from theatres.

Border 2 Opens Strong, Box Office Expectations Soar

Starring Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, and Ahan Shetty, Border 2 arrived with massive expectations and strong pre-release buzz. Directed by Anurag Singh, the film expands the universe of the 1997 classic while placing emphasis on scale, emotion, and patriotism.

Ahead of the release, The Free Press Journal conducted a poll on X (formerly Twitter), asking users to predict the film’s Day 1 box office collection. The results reflected overwhelming confidence in the film’s opening.

A significant 84.2 per cent of respondents predicted that Border 2 would earn between ₹40 crore and ₹50 crore on its first day at the domestic box office. Another 14 per cent estimated an opening in the ₹30–40 crore range, while just 1.8 per cent expected collections between ₹10–20 crore. Notably, no voters predicted a ₹20–30 crore opening.

With strong audience backing and industry support now firmly behind it, Border 2 appears well on track to convert its buzz into box office success.