Varun Dhawan is on cloud nine these days, deservingly winning praise from across the world for his portrayal of image-conscious narcissist Ajju Bhaiya in the recently premiered Bawaal. The Nitesh Tiwari romantic entertainer has garnered immense popularity among both audiences and critics and is reportedly performing well for streaming giant Amazon Prime Video as well. Encouraged by the overwhelming acclaim he has received, Varun is now brimming with energy and enthusiasm to return to work, promising to deliver yet another entertainment extravaganza filled with love, laughter, and thrilling action.

Pinkvilla has exclusively learnt that Varun Dhawan kicks off his next action entertainer, termed as #VD18, in the second week of August. "The shooting timelines are locked, and they start with a 15-day schedule in a Mumbai studio. South Indian actress Keerthy Suresh, who makes her long-cherished Bollywood debut with this film, will also join Varun in the first schedule. They are expected to film some romantic and dramatic scenes together. This prolusion stint will be followed by an action-packed schedule where Varun will be seen performing some very stylish and larger-than-life action sequences," a source close to the project told us, adding that the makers are determined to finish its production by November-end to target a theatrical release in May 2024.

The yet-untitled film stars Varun Dhawan in the role of a police officer, while Keerthy Suresh is said to be playing his love interest. It’s a dramatic entertainer that promises to captivate audiences with its gripping storyline, powerful performances, and high-octane action sequences. Tamil filmmaker Atlee Kumar, who makes his Bollywood directorial debut with Shah Rukh Khan’s highly anticipated Jawan, is presenting this film, while his wife Priya Atlee produces it in association with Murad Khetani of Cine1 Studios. Kalees, who is directing this film, has already finished his preparation and is waiting with bated breath to call his shots starting mid-August.

The Atlee Kumar film aside, Varun Dhawan also has an Amazon Prime series lined up. The Badlapur actor is doing the Indian installment of Russo Brothers' global spy thriller series, Citadel, alongside Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The Family Man creators Raj and DK are directing this espionage thriller, which is currently in post-production and eyeing a mid-2024 premiere on Amazon Prime Video. Varun also has Amar Kaushik’s Bhediya 2 up his sleeve, and while it’s still in the writing stage, it’s expected to roll sometime mid-next year. Furthermore, Varun will also be seen reprising his werewolf character from Bhediya in a cameo role in Stree 2.

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