Mumbai: Varun Dhawan recently opened up about the emotional impact of losing his driver, Manoj, who had been by his side for 26 years. In a candid conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia on his YouTube channel, Varun shared how Manoj’s sudden passing profoundly altered his perspective on life.
Varun, fighting back tears, revealed that the tragedy made him realisethat he had been living in a bubble and that his previous understanding of life was superficial. “For the longest time, I was living in a bubble,” he admitted. He explained that before the age of 35, he had seen himself as an idealistic person, even a hero, partly due to his roles in films. “There is a Varun Dhawan before and after 35,” he reflected. He recalled the day of Manoj’s death with immense pain: “I used to see myself in an idealistic way—that I’m a hero, and I can save the day. But on that day, I failed myself.”
The loss hit Varun hard, especially since he had been very close to Manoj, who had passed away unexpectedly while they were working together. Varun even performed CPR and rushed him to the hospital, believing they had saved him. However, Manoj passed away in his arms, leaving Varun devastated by how suddenly and casually life can be taken.
The emotional toll of this loss extended into Varun’s professional life. He admitted that his work had suffered in the aftermath, mentioning that his upcoming film Baby John is releasing after a gap of two years. “It definitely hit me hard,” he said.
To deal with the grief and gain clarity, Varun turned to spiritual texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, and Ramayana. He explained, “I began reading the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, and Ramayana just randomly because I had so many questions.”This journey of self-reflection and spiritual exploration has helped him cope with the loss and continue moving forward, despite the emotional upheaval.