Varun Dhawan has set the fan speculation ablaze by naming Sidharth Malhotra as his pick for a possible remake of Heated Rivalry on Koffee With Karan 9. Varun appeared as a guest with Janhvi Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. In the conversation, the actor looked back at the on-screen chemistry between the two in Student of the Year, jokingly saying that people once wanted their characters to get together more than with Alia Bhatt. Netflix soon joined the fun too, sharing a screen grab from the 2012 campus drama by Karan Johar, with a catchy caption. The playful exchange has since fuelled calls for a desi take on the rivals-to-lovers story.
Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra for desi Heated Rivalry?
On the October 28 episode of Koffee With Karan 9, Varun was asked to pick an actor he would cast in an Indian version of Heated Rivalry. The answer was instantaneous: Sidharth Malhotra, his co-star in Karan Johar’s 2012 directorial Student of the Year. Varun’s pick was accompanied by a fun explanation, taking fans back to the first film of the actors. “I think there was a lot of tension even in SOTY,” he said, discussing the dynamic between their characters. “A lot of people wanted me and Sidharth to end up together, more than with Alia Bhatt, he added. Arjun then asks KJo, “Was there a version like that? In his head there was a version.” Varun added, “There was!”
Netflix joins the joke
Netflix was quick to play along with Varun’s comment. The streaming platform posted a still of and Sidharth from Student of the Year, with the caption, “varun dhawan i see the vision.”
The post seemed to confirm both the actor’s suggestion that he would be cast and the fans’ interpretation of the film’s central rivalry. The response also brought the focus back to Student of the Year, which marked the Bollywood debut of Varun, Sidharth and Alia. More than a decade after it hit the screens, the movie still sparks conversation about its characters, relationships, and the chemistry between its two leads.
Though there’s no official remake or collaboration announced, Netflix’s playful nod gave fans another reason to celebrate the pairing.
About Heated Rivalry
Heated Rivalry is based on the Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid. The show takes its title from the 2019 second installment. Created and directed by Jacob Tierney, the television adaptation premiered on November 28, 2025, turning unknown lead actors Hudson Williams (Shane) and Connor Storrie (Ilya) into instant stars.
The reference to Heated Rivalry by Varun is particularly interesting, as the story is about two athletes competing against each other and how their intense professional rivalry turns into romance. The rivals-to-lovers premise has had audiences imagining how the dynamic could translate to different settings and cultural contexts.
Fans of Heated Rivalry are blowing up internet demanding an Indian version with Varun and Sidharth
Fans compare Varun and Sidharth in SOTY and Heated Rivalry
After Varun’s suggestion, fans have been recalling the tension between Abhimanyu and Rohan in . There has long been an appreciation among some fans of reading the characters’ rivalry through a romantic lens, imagining a version of the story in which the two men are the central couple rather than competing for the attention of Shanaya.
But that’s part of the conversation about what Varun had said, even if that is a fan interpretation and not what the film is about. The actor’s remark gave those fans a playful moment of recognition, one they didn’t see coming.