Varun Dhawan says Aditya Chopra denied him action film due to budget issues

At the trailer launch event for Citadel: Honey Bunny, actor Varun Dhawan recently revealed that he was denied an action film by filmmaker Aditya Chopra due to budget constraints.
He also reflected on how South Indian filmmakers have played a significant role in advancing his action career.
Dhawan acknowledged their support, stating, “Right now, I feel that only the South Indians are taking notice of me and are giving me great opportunities in action, which is true,” to which Samantha added, “Yes, we love you!”
Dhawan went on to discuss his recent collaborations, saying, “I think I started working with Raj and DK and Sam (Samantha), and next I’m working with Atlee and Keerthy (Keerthy Suresh). Janhvi is also kind of South Indian, so I think, hopefully, that would lead the way for more people in our industry to notice.”
He also recounted an encounter with filmmaker Aditya Chopra during the lockdown, revealing a key moment in his journey towards securing action roles. “During that time, they were making Tiger. I asked him, ‘Sir, why don’t you make an action film with younger talents?’ He was like, ‘No, I only want to give you acting roles, not action.’ I kept pursuing, and then he said, ‘I can’t do that because I can’t give you that budget right now.'”
Dhawan shared how this interaction shaped his approach when Citadel: Honey Bunny came his way, noting, “I remember when this opportunity came, I even asked Amazon — though they don’t want me to say this — I said, ‘What is the budget?’ because I’m getting that knowledge from Aditya Chopra.” He expressed his gratitude towards the platform and his collaborators, saying, “I’m really grateful that you put in that strength and science behind this project.”
Watch the trailer here:

Citadel: Honey Bunny is the third project in the Citadel universe, following Citadel and Citadel: Diana. It features Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in lead roles. Directed by Raj and DK and produced by the Russo Brothers, the show is all set to start streaming on Prime Video from November 7.