Varun Dhawan Finally Explains His Infamous ‘Dilwale Is Like Inception’ Remark: ‘It Was A Bad Joke’

Nearly a decade after his infamous “Dilwale is like Inception” comment, Varun Dhawan has finally explained what he actually meant. During an appearance on Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent, the actor revealed that the comparison was meant sarcastically, but the joke clearly didn’t land the way he expected.

1. Varun gets roasted for his 2015 comment

The topic came up when comedian Sharon Verma joked about Varun’s old Dilwale statement during the episode. Her reference to his “Dilwale is like Inception” line immediately had everyone laughing, bringing the decade-old controversy back into the spotlight.

2. He says it was actually sarcasm

Varun clarified that he wasn’t seriously comparing Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale to Christopher Nolan’s Inception. According to the actor, the statement was intended as a sarcastic joke that audiences misunderstood.

3. Even Varun admits the joke didn’t work

The actor didn’t exactly defend his old line. Instead, he acknowledged that the joke simply failed to land, describing it as a “bad joke.” He also joked that people assumed he was being serious when he actually wasn’t.

4. ‘Even I didn’t get the trailer’

Varun took the self-deprecation a step further, joking that he couldn’t have genuinely been making such a serious comparison because he himself didn’t understand the Dilwale trailer. The comment turned the old controversy into a punchline all over again.

5. What did Varun originally say?

Back in 2015, while promoting Dilwale, Varun had told reporters that if audiences had watched Inception and understood and enjoyed it, they would also like Dilwale. He teased that the film had a plot, story, logic and plenty of twists and turns. The statement quickly became one of the most mocked moments of the film’s promotional campaign.

6. Dilwale brought together a massive cast

Directed by Rohit Shetty, Dilwale starred Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon. The film combined romance, comedy and action, while also reuniting Shah Rukh and Kajol on screen.

7. Almost 11 years later, the joke gets its sequel

What was once a serious source of online trolling has now become something Varun can laugh about himself. His latest explanation essentially turns the infamous Inception comparison into another chapter in Bollywood’s long-running collection of promotional one-liners that refuse to die.

KnowBuddys Take

11 years later and Varun is STILL explaining the Inception comment.

Turns out it was sarcasm.
The internet: “Bro, we thought you were serious.”

And Varun’s comeback? “Even I didn’t get the trailer.”

Honestly, the Dilwale marketing campaign may have ended in 2015, but the Inception joke clearly got a longer theatrical run.