Varun Dhawan’s romantic-comedy, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari was released in theatres on October 2. In a run-up to the film, there were reports that accused the actor of being a ‘scene cutting co-star’, who asked directors to trim the roles of his colleagues in the film. The actor opened up about these claims in an interview with BBC Asian Network.

He said, “I do feel I have always had fans who stood by me through hits and flops. It’s just gossip, I guess.”

Janhvi Kapoor vouched for him and said, “He’s the last person who’s like that! Trust me, I have been in the industry for six-seven years, I have heard enough stories, and worked with enough people. He’s one of the only actors who’s so secure and wise. He understands that a film is a collective effort. He actually gets joy in building others up. Even with the song ‘Perfect’, that whole number was about hyping me, and he was more than happy about it.”

Varun added, “That song was Janhvi’s, and she killed it. For me, it doesn’t matter which way the narrative swings. What matters is the collective energy that goes into a film. My friendships with co-stars are proof of that.”

The actor spoke about the manipulation and fake trends in the media. “Honestly if I had done something then probably it would affect me. But if someone goes out and speaks negatively because today there’s so much manipulation with the media, there’s so much botting. You can do fake trends. And there are a few against Sunny Sanskari… as well, which are just bots against the film and that too for no reason. If it gets too much, you can just name the person, who’s doing it,” he added.

Directed by Shashank Khaitan, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari also stars Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, Akshay Oberoi and Maniesh Malhotra in pivotal roles.