Koffee with Karan 9: Varun Dhawan Wants Sidharth Malhotra for a Heated Rivalry Remake

Ask a Bollywood star who they’d cast opposite them, and you usually get a diplomatic non-answer. Not this time. On Koffee with Karan 9, Varun Dhawan answered instantly, and the…

By Reetam Bodhak

October 29, 2026

3 min read

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Ask a Bollywood star who they’d cast opposite them, and you usually get a diplomatic non-answer. Not this time. On Koffee with Karan 9, Varun Dhawan answered instantly, and the name he picked was a familiar one from his debut film.

Koffee with Karan 9: The Moment at a Glance

Detail	Info
Show	Koffee with Karan 9
Guests	Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor (Arjun Kapoor made a special appearance)
Host	Karan Johar
The question	Which male co-star would Varun pick for an Indian remake of Heated Rivalry?
Varun’s answer	Sidharth Malhotra
Their shared film	Student of the Year (2012)

What Varun Said?

When Karan Johar asked who he’d choose to star opposite him in an Indian version of the Canadian series, Varun named Sidharth Malhotra without hesitating. Karan called it a “sexy pairing” and approved.

Varun explained his reasoning with a bit of film history. He said he felt there was a spark between their characters even in Student of the Year, and he added that plenty of viewers back then thought he and Sidharth should have ended up together rather than with Alia Bhatt’s character.

It’s worth stressing that this was a hypothetical, hosted in the show’s playful style. Nothing in the report suggests that a remake is actually in the works.

Why the SOTY Link Works?

Student of the Year, directed by Karan Johar, marked the Bollywood debuts of Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra. The story follows three students whose friendships, rivalries and romances get tangled. Varun and Sidharth play competing students, and Alia’s character gets drawn into their dynamic. You can read more about the film on Wikipedia.

What Is Heated Rivalry?

Heated Rivalry is a Canadian sports romance series on Crave, created, written and directed by Jacob Tierney. It’s based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, and the title comes from the second novel, published in 2019.

The story follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, rival professional ice hockey players for the Montreal Metros and Boston Raiders. Despite their fierce on-ice rivalry and public scrutiny, they develop a secret, initially casual relationship that continues on and off over several years. Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie play the leads, alongside François Arnaud, Robbie GK, Christina Chang and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.

The Fan Verdict

Reunion talk like this tends to spark nostalgia fast. Fans who grew up with Student of the Year are already imagining the pairing, but until anyone announces a project, it’s best enjoyed as a fun moment from the couch. For more celebrity and entertainment stories, keep reading Technosports.