Sui Dhaaga, Varun's last offbeat film?

2018 will be Varun's weakest year at the box office, notes Subhash K Jha.

This year will be one of Varun Dhawan's most creatively satisfying years since his arrival in Bollywood.

Shoojit Sircar's October fetched him the best reviews of his career. Now, Sharat Kataria's October release Sui Dhaaga will take Varun to another histrionic peak.

But will Sui Dhaaga, a film about the common man's common dreams -- as steeped in naturalism as Kataria's debut film Dum Laga Ke Haisha -- get the box office figures that Varun's blockbusters like Badarinath Ki Dulhaniya and Judwaa 2 got?

Chances are Sui Dhaaga will remain a low-key earner, like October.

So while 2018 will be Varun's most creatively satisfying year, it will also be his weakest year at the box office.

While Varun is all for doing unorthodox roles, his father -- the blockbuster machine David Dhawan -- feels numbers are vital to an actor's career.

"I'm very proud of what Varun has done in October and Sui Dhaaga, but box office success is very important," David tells me.

"It is only when a film like Judwaa 2 earns the big bucks that Varun becomes empowered to do the kind of classy work he has done in 2018."

Chances are Varun will now cut down on the classy and plunge into the massy.

Says a source close to Varun, "He had decided to do one non-mainstream film every year. But in 2018, he did two offbeat films. So Varun won't be doing any non-mainstream films next year."