Varun Dhawan reveals daughter Lara was diagnosed with Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, couldn't walk properly

Actor Varun Dhawan discussed about his daughter Lara Dhawan's hip issue, urging parents to monitor developmental signs.

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan and his wife Natasha Dalal embraced parenthood when they welcomed their daughter, Lara, in 2024. In a recent episode of Be A Man, Yaar!, Varun revealed that his daughter was diagnosed with DDH (Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip), because of which she could not walk or run properly. He shared that she underwent a procedure and is now recovering.

Varun Dhawan talks about his daughter Lara Dhawan's illness.

Varun Dhawan talks about his daughter being diagnosed with DDH

Varun revealed that when Lara was 1.5 years old, she was diagnosed with DDH. He said, "My daughter was diagnosed with DDH, in which the hip slips out of the hip socket. Ek pair lamba chota hojaata hai jiski wajah se walk tedi hojaati hai (One leg becomes shorter than the other, which causes an uneven limp while walking). You can't walk or run properly."

He added, "You get Arthritis early, slip disc early. West main iska bahut accha treatement hota hai birth pe hi India main har jagah nahi hai itna. But yahan bhi bahut acche doctors hai jo iska care karte hain (In the West, this condition is treated very well from birth itself. In India, that level of treatment is not available everywhere yet. But there are also many excellent doctors here who take care of it). She didn't need to do a surgery. With one procedure they could put the hip back. But she had to be in a spica cast. That means she had to be in cast for 2.5 months. Which is extremely difficult. To put her in anaesthesia and then she woke up in a cast. Now the cast is out. I want to write a book on it."

He also urged parents to pay close attention to their children’s movements and consult a paediatrician if they suspect anything unusual in the early years of their child’s development. Varun further urged fans not to look at him with sympathy, adding that he chose to share this because not many people in India are aware of the condition. He said he wanted to spread awareness, especially since it is curable if diagnosed early in a baby’s development.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition that affects the way a baby’s hip joint forms. Sometimes, it begins before birth, while in other cases it develops after birth as the child grows. It can affect one hip or both.

About Lara Dhawan

Varun and Natasha got married in a low-key wedding ceremony in 2021. Natasha gave birth to their baby girl on 3 June at a Mumbai hospital. The actor took to Instagram to share the news of his daughter’s arrival. Varun captioned the post, "Our baby girl is here, Thank u for all the good wishes for the mama and the baby".

Varun has also revealed that becoming a girl dad has softened him, and that he is willing to do anything and everything his daughter wants him to do.