Smile, It’s Trending: Varun Dhawan Turns Viral Meme Moment Into A Laugh Riot

Actor Varun Dhawan has shown that he knows how to take a joke, choosing to join in on the internet fun after his smile became the latest meme sensation. Instead of brushing off the trolling, the actor turned it into a light-hearted moment by playfully teaching singer Vishal Mishra how to recreate the now-viral expression.

Varun Dhawan responds to viral smile meme

On Wednesday, Varun went live on Instagram to connect with fans while en route to the Karwar Naval Base, where he was headed to promote his upcoming war drama Border 2. He was accompanied by singer Vishal Mishra during the journey, and the two shared a candid, laughter-filled interaction.

Addressing the online chatter, Varun made it clear that he wasn’t bothered by the jokes. In fact, he seemed amused by the response, saying he was happy to see people enjoying the moment with him.

Shraddha was so right when she said it's so difficult to make Varun sad lol people have gone mad trolling him and he is laughing SO CRAZYYY 😂😭pic.twitter.com/J4FedAnCs4

— 🌷 (@varun_ki_madhu) January 14, 2026

After greeting viewers who joined the live session, Varun glanced at Vishal and remarked, “I know my smile is trending.” Referring to his much-discussed one-sided smile, he burst into laughter, with Vishal quickly joining in. Leaning into the humour, Varun then asked Vishal to try copying the expression.

Demonstrating it himself, Varun explained the trick, saying, “Phele pura smile aur phir ek ko gira do (Give full smile and drop your smile from one side).”

He later added that he was taking the memes in good spirit. “No no, I am happy and smiling ke pura Hindustan smile kar raha hai mere saath (I am happy that the whole of India was smiling along with him).”

Earlier response to acting criticism

This isn’t the first time Varun has addressed online criticism head-on. Some time ago, he responded to a social media user who questioned his acting abilities after the release of a song from Border 2. The exchange took place in the comments section of a post, where Varun offered a sharp yet calm reply.

A user asked him, “Bhai apka acting pe sawal utha raha hai log uske liyeee kya bolega (Bro, people are raising questions on your acting skills. What would you say about that)?”

Varun replied, “@sahjaan_18 yehi sawaal ne gaana hit karadi sab enjoy kar rahe hain rab di mehar. (This question made the song a hit. Everyone is enjoying it. God is great).”

What Varun Dhawan is working on next

Varun will next be seen in Border 2, directed by Anurag Singh. The film features an ensemble cast including Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty, and serves as a sequel to the 1997 blockbuster Border, helmed by JP Dutta. The upcoming war drama is scheduled for a theatrical release on January 23 and is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, JP Dutta and Nidhi Dutta.

He was last seen in Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari opposite Janhvi Kapoor. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, the film released in theatres on October 2 last year under Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions banner. Despite also starring Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf, the film failed to generate the expected response at the box office.