David Dhawan Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Real name	Rajinder Dhawan [1]The Times of India
Profession(s)	Film Director, Writer, Editor
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 175 cm in meters- 1.75 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 9”
Weight (approx.)	in kilograms- 95 kg in pounds- 209 lbs
Eye Colour	Light Brown
Hair Colour	Salt & Pepper (dyed black)
Career
Debut	Film: Taaqatwar (1989) TV (As a Judge): Nach Baliye Season 3 (2008)
Awards	Filmfare Awards • 1994: Nominated for Best Director for the Hindi film Aankhen • 2000: Nominated for Best Director for the Hindi film Biwi No 1 • 2024: Won Lifetime Achievement Award Awards of the International Indian Film Academy • 2000: Nominated for Best Director for the Hindi film Haseena Maan Jaayegi • 2005: Nominated for Best Director for the Hindi film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi Star Gold Comedy Honors • 2007: Won Director with Comic Excellence Award Masala! Awards • 2015: Won Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema • He has received an Academy Award at the Asian Academy of Film & Television and the Asian School of Media Studies.
Personal Life
Date of Birth	16 August 1951 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2024)	73 Years
Birthplace	Agartala, Tripura, India
Zodiac sign	Leo
Autograph
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
School(s)	• Christ Church College, Kanpur • BNSD Inter College, Kanpur
College/University	Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune
Educational Qualification	Course in Editing
Hobby	Travelling
Religion	Hinduism [2]The Times of India
Ethnicity	Punjabi [3]The Times of India
Address	A-15, Sagar Darshan, Hanuman Nagar, Off Carter Road, Khar, Mumbai 400052
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Wife/Spouse	Karuna Dhawan/Karuna Chopra aka Laali
Children	Son(s)- 2 • Rohit Dhawan (elder; film director) (born on 26 December 1983) • Varun Dhawan (actor; born on 24 April 1987) Daughter- None
Parents	Father- Madan Lal Dhawan, was a manager at UCO Bank Mother- Raj Rani Dhawan
Siblings	Brother(s)- Ashok Dhawan (who died of cancer) and Anil Dhawan (actor) Sister- Vanod Dhawan
Family Tree
Favourites
Film Director(s)	Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Manmohan Desai
Actor(s)	Sanjay Dutt, Rajesh Khanna, Govinda

Some Lesser Known Facts About David Dhawan

• David Dhawan grew up in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

• During his school and college days, he used to top his class. He was also good at various sports.
  

  David Dhawan’s childhood picture

• In childhood, his neighbours who were Christians, used to call him David. Later, he changed his name to David from Rajinder. ^[4]The Times of India

• On his brother’s advice, he joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune to become an actor. However, within a few days there, he realised that he could become an actor and join an editing course there. While studying there, he watched the Bengali film ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara.’ He was so impressed by the work in the film that he decided to make his career as a filmmaker. From there, David passed out with a gold medal. ^[5]The Times of India In FTII, the Indian actor Om Puri was his batchmate and Naseeruddin Shah was his senior.
  

  David Dhawan in his younger days

• At the beginning of his career, he worked as an editor with Bombay TV.

• As an editor, he worked in a few Hindi films such as ‘Laadli’ (1978), ‘Saaransh’ (1984), ‘Sultanat’ (1986), ‘Swarg’ (1990), and ‘Chor Machaaye Shor’ (2002).

• David has worked as a writer in various films like ‘Taaqatwar’ (1989; Hindi), Pokiri Raja (1995; Telugu), ‘Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta’ (2001; Hindi), ‘Partner’ (2007; Hindi), and ‘New Délire’ (2013; French).

• Some of his popular directorial Hindi films are ‘Swarg’ (1990), ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’ (1996), ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ (1998), ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’ (2004), ‘Partner’ (2007), and ‘Main Tera Hero’ (2014).
  

  A picture of David Dhawan on the sets of Saajan Chale Sasural

• The famous Indian director-actor jodi David Dhawan-Govinda has worked in many famous comedy Hindi films including ‘Raja Babu’ (1994), ‘Coolie No. 1’ (1995), ‘Hero No. 1’ (1997), and ‘Haseena Maan Jaayegi’ (1999).
  

  Govinda with David Dhawan

• He has judged a few Hindi TV shows like ‘Hans Baliye’ (2009; Star Plus).

• He started a private firm Goodfight Entertainment Private Limited in Mumbai on 22 March 2021. His son Varun Dhawan is a co-owner of the company.

• He is a member of the Asian Academy of Film & Television and the Asian School of Media Studies.

• Most of the films directed by him are inspired by some other films or are remakes.

• Whenever he gets time from his busy schedule, he enjoys travelling to different places.
  

  David Dhawan during his vacation

• In a talk show, the Indian actor Sanjay Dutt shared that David was a foodie.

• In an interview, he shared that he owed to the Indian actor Sanjay Dutt for helping him in his low phase.

• In December 2024, Govinda‘s daughter gave an interview in which she stated that she was unable to start her acting career before 2015 due to the deteriorating relationship between Govinda and David Dhawan in the early 2010s. It was initially planned for her to make her debut in a film directed by David. Their relationship improved after they worked through their differences in 2023.