Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan is fully immersed in promotional activities for his upcoming movie, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, sharing screen space with Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. As a major leg of their multi-city promotional campaign, Varun and Mrunal recently dropped by the Phoenix Mall in Lucknow, drawing an incredibly massive crowd.
Fan says she waited five hours
Yet, the massive turnout also left room for heartbreak. A female attendee took to Instagram post-event to voice her immense frustration over missing out on interaction with the star. Sharing a video on her Instagram, pointed out that while the audience stood waiting for almost five hours, Varun's stage time lasted only a mere heartbeat. “We waited for 5 hours and he came for just 5 min,” she detailed in her social media update.
Soon, the video was noticed by Varun Dhawan himself. Wasting no time upon discovering the disheartened fan's post, Varun stepped up to personally address her in the comments, and clarified, “Sorry, I couldn’t give an autograph; we were made to leave a lil early by the cops.”
Following up on his comment, the actor also shared a video on his Instagram story to address the massive turnout. In the clip, Dhawan noted that after witnessing the overwhelming size of the crowd, he promised to ensure that his next visit to Lucknow would take place at a much larger venue and with far better organization to avoid similar issues.
{{/usCountry}}Following up on his comment, the actor also shared a video on his Instagram story to address the massive turnout. In the clip, Dhawan noted that after witnessing the overwhelming size of the crowd, he promised to ensure that his next visit to Lucknow would take place at a much larger venue and with far better organization to avoid similar issues.
{{/usCountry}}Controversy surrounding the movie
The film has also been making headlines over both a remake rumour and a messy legal dispute. Addressing speculation that the Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur-starrer is a remake, Tips issued a public notice confirming it is an original story and screenplay and bears no resemblance to any other film.
However, the movie is under intense scrutiny regarding the remix of the 1999 track Chunari Chunari from Biwi No. 1. Producer Vashu Bhagnani of Puja Entertainment claimed ownership of the rights, stating he was deeply hurt to see the iconic track reworked for the new film without authorization. Bhagnani alleged that after discussions stalled, the song was launched abruptly, leading his team to seek legal recourse. A court recently granted interim protection to Puja Entertainment.
Conversely, Tips released a statement maintaining they are the lawful owner of the music rights in question, backed by binding agreements. They emphasized they have legitimately exploited these rights for nearly three decades.
Promotions for Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai continue
Helmed by David Dhawan, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai's official trailer is set to launch on May 21 in Mumbai. Leading up to this point, the makers have dropped three tracks: Wow, Tera Ho Jaun, and Vyah Karwado Ji. This project marks the fourth creative partnership between David Dhawan and his son Varun, following Main Tera Hero, Judwaa 2, and the streaming reimagining of Coolie No. 1.
The film will release in theatres on June 5, 2026.
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