David Dhawan: Bio, Age, Height, Education, Wife, Children, Career, Net Worth & More

David Dhawan is a well-known Indian writer, director, and editor who specializes in comedy movies. Consequently, he has offered society many box office movies that are termed as entertaining and have become popular. He has directed more than forty films, and most of them have been well-received by audiences for their comedic effects and populism. This blog discusses David Dhawan age, his career, net worth, and much more.

David Dhawan Biography 

David Dhawan is one of the leading directors of Hindi cinema with a sense of comic timing and a unique style of storytelling. One of the valuable works of David Dhawan in his career is the association with actor Govinda, especially in the decade of the nineties.

David Dhawan Age, Height & Physical Stats

Born on 16 August 195, David Dhawan age is 73 years as of July 2025. His birth sign is Leo. With a height of 5ft 9 inches, he weighs around 94 Kg. He has a tall frame and a very likable personality. With light brown eyes and salt and pepper hair, he has the veteran appeal.

Early Life and Family Background

David was born in Agartala, Tripura, India, and brought up in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Madan Lal Dhawan, is a manager at UCO Bank, while his mother, Raj Rani Dhawan, is a housewife from a Punjabi family. In his early days, David was an intelligent and active student who did well in academics as well as sports. His Christian neighbors during his childhood had called him ‘David’, which he later changed his name as Rajinder in his initials as David. He also has a brother, actor Anil Dhawan, and a late brother, Ashok Dhawan, who died of cancer. He had spent his earlier years in Kanpur, which is where his career leading a film director began.

Educational background

David was a bright student and also good at sports. He joined FTII to pursue acting but later chose editing as his core subject and passed with a gold medal.

David Dhawan Wife (Personal Life)

David Dhawan lives a peaceful family life along with his wife Karuna Dhawan in Mumbai. He has an elder son, Rohit Dhawan, a filmmaker, and a younger one, Varun Dhawan, who is a top Bollywood actor.

David Dhawan Professional Career

Early Years and Origins (1980 – Early 1990s)

David primarily started as an editor and edited many Hindi films in the late 1970s and 1980s. With Laadli (1978), Saaransh (1984), and Sultanat (1986) as editors, he gained valuable experience in the industry. He then moved on to direction and began his direction career with the movie Taaqatwar, for was released in 1989, and although the movie was not appreciated at the box office, it became the stepping stone for him to further direction.

Commercial Success and Rise to Fame (1990s)

The director’s big break came in the early 90s when he directed films such as Swarg (1990) and Saajan Chale Sasural (1996). This made his directorial style of light comedies successful in India. In particular, his work with the actor Govinda helped him become famous, and people loved such films he presented. They got popular in the comedy genre and made the director David Dhawan one of the best directors in Bollywood.

• Raja Babu (1994)
• Coolie No. 1 (1995)
• Hero No. 1 (1997)
• Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999)

2000s: Continued Success and Diversification

Continuing in the same decade, David Dhawan ruled the comedy section of the cinema with some of the following movies:

• Biwi No. 1 (2000)
• Haseena Maan Jaayegi (2000)
• Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004)
• Partner (2007)

David Dhawan’s films, in particular, during this period of time, were full of humor, and hence they targeted the entire family; all his films during this period became blockbusters. He has also maintained a successful combination with superstars like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Govinda. This also did magic at the box office.

2010s: Evolution and Experimentation

In the early 2010s, David Dhawan made his foray into other diverse genres of movies and directed films such as:

• His next was Main Tera Hero, released in the year 2014 with his son Varun Dhawan in the lead role.
• It is worth mentioning that Judwaa 2 (2017) is a sequel to the much-loved 1997 movie Judwaa and features Varun Dhawan. 
• Despite that, his style remained largely comedic, and he tried his hand at family-oriented dramas occasionally. 
• Judwaa 2 proved that he is a director with the ability to enter modernity without neglecting the previous hallmarks.

2020s: Continued Influence and Legacy

David received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Filmfare Awards in 2024 to pay him recognition for his invaluable contributions to the Indian movie industry. Besides directing films, he has also stepped into production, ranging from the establishment of the company, namely Goodfight Entertainment Private Limited, in March 2021, founded with his son Varun Dhawan. He has continued his work in directing and producing films and has stayed busy in the industry, solidifying his status as a pioneer of Bollywood comedy.

David Dhawan Movies & TV Shows

Achievements and Awards

Recent News & Controversies

Govinda’s daughter, in an interview in 2024, stated that her debut was put off as she had a bad relationship with Govinda and David Dhawan, but got together late in 2023.

Social. Media Presence

David Dhawan is not really active on social media, but his son Varun Dhawan loves to share moments with him on his social media accounts.

David Dhawan Net Worth

As of 2025 reports, David Dhawan Net Worth is estimated to be around ₹160 crores. He is one of the richest filmmakers in Bollywood and has directed a range of commercially successful films. 

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