Varun Grover (born 26 January 1980) is an Indian lyricist, writer, stand-up comedian and filmmaker. He won the award for Best Lyricist at the 63rd National Film Awards in 2015. He co-created the political satire group Aisi Taisi Democracy, and his debut film, All India Rank, closed the 52nd Rotterdam International Film Festival, in 2023. Grover also performs stand-up comedy, writes poetry and acts.
Early life and education Grover was born in Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh, to a school-teacher mother and army engineer father, and belongs to a Punjabi Hindu family.Akshay Manwani (24 July 2016), "Varun Grover interview: ‘The lack of respect for writers stays with you, but also fuels you’", Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 March 2020. His paternal grandfather originally lived in Faisalabad, a city in the Punjab Province of British India. After the partition of India, Faisalabad became a part of the West Punjab province of Pakistan, due to which he moved to Jagadhri in present-day Haryana, where he settled and eventually started a business of sign painting for shops. In the early 1950s, a cinema hall opened in Jagadhri wherein he went on to design posters for the hall. He instructed his two elder sons, Varun's uncles and his father's brothers, to also make such posters. This led the family to gain an interest in watching movies, many of which they watched at the same cinema hall, in which Varun's grandfather also took his father. Varun accredits this for his interest in films, as he "inherited the same addiction from [his] father".
Varun spent his initial years in Dehradun, Uttarakhand and Sundernagar, before moving to Lucknow for his adolescent years. He studied civil engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, graduating in 2003. He began his career as a software consultant with the multinational company Kanbay in Pune, where he worked for nearly a year. In 2004, Varun Grover moved to Mumbai to pursue his passion for writing. The following year, he secured an opportunity to script for the television series The Great Indian Comedy Show. In 2018, collection of short stories for children, called Paper Chor was published in Hindi.
Music In 2017, Varun Grover released Beete Dino Ke Geet, a song in collaboration with US-based producer Krishna Chetan.
Comedy
In 2025, Varun Grover released his standup special Nothing Makes Sense.
Discography Title Year Artist Album Notes "Yeh Ek Zindagi"2022 Achint Thakkar Monica, O My Darling "Suno Jaanejaan" "Bye Bye Adios" "Farsh Pe Khade" "Hari Har"Shankar–Ehsaan–LoySamrat Prithviraj "Hadd Kar De" "Makhmali" "Yoddha" "Shauq" Amit Trivedi Qala "Noodle Sa Dil"2023 Mayukh-Mainak All India Rank "Sab Achhi Baatein Hain" "Choice Hi Nahin Hai" "Haq Hai" "Chal Ve Watna" Pritam Dunki "Merry Christmas"2024Merry Christmas "Nazar Teri Toofan" "Raat Akeli Thi" "Dil Ki Mez" "Tenu Sang Rakhna" Achint Thakkar Jigra "Jiya""Jigra" "Jigra" () "Pan India Area King" Achint Thakkar "Phoolon Ka Taaro Ka" R. D. Burman,Achint Thakkar Co-written with Anand Bakshi
Filmography
Films Year Title Credited as Lyricist Writer Director Actor Notes 2006 Ghoom 2009 Accident on Hill Road 2011 That Girl in Yellow Boots 2012 Peddlers Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1 Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2 2013 Prague 2014 Katiyabaaz Ankhon Dekhi2015 Dum Laga Ke HaishaWon National Film Award for Best Lyrics Bombay Velvet Masaan 2016 Zubaan Fan Raman Raghav 2.0 Udta Punjab 2017 Newton2018 Kaala Sui Dhaaga2019Sonchiriya 2021 Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar Won Filmfare award for Best Dialogue 2022RRR Lyricist for the Hindi version Badhaai Do Monica, O My DarlingSamrat PrithvirajKiss Directorial Debut, Short filmQala 2023Dunki rowspan="2" rowspan="2" rowspan="2" rowspan="2" 2024Merry ChristmasAll India RankDirectorial Debut, Feature FilmJigraChashma2025Superboys Of Malegaon Homebound
Television Year Title Credited as2004–2006The Great Indian Comedy Show Writer2007SAB Ka Bheja Fry 2007–2008Ranvir Vinay Aur Kaun? 2008–2009Oye! It's Friday! 2008–2009 10 Ka Dum 2009 Ghar Ki Baat Hai2009–2013 Jay Hind! 2018–2019Sacred Games Writer and Executive producer
Books Paper Chor (2018), Jugnoo Prakashan Biksu (2019), Ektara India Karejwa (2020), Bakarmaxindia
Awards and nominations
Award Year Work Category Result Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Award2013"Womaniya"–Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1Best Lyrics2016"Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" Filmfare Awards2016"Moh Moh Ke Dhaage"–Dum Laga Ke HaishaBest Lyricist 2022 Sandeep Aur Pinky FaraarBest StoryBest Screenplay Best Dialogue 2025All India RankBest Debut Director "Raat Akeli Thi" – Merry ChristmasBest Lyricist Global Indian Music Academy Awards 2016 "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage"–Dum Laga Ke HaishaBest LyricistBest Film SongMirchi Music Awards2014"Aayi Bahar"–Ankhon DekhiRaag-Inspired Song of the Year2016"Moh Moh Ke Dhaage"–Dum Laga Ke HaishaLyricist of the Year2017Udta PunjabAlbum of the Year National Film Awards2016"Moh Moh Ke Dhaage"–Dum Laga Ke HaishaBest Lyrics Times of India Film Awards2016Dum Laga Ke HaishaBest Lyrics Zee Cine Awards2016"Moh Moh Ke Dhaage"–Dum Laga Ke HaishaBest Lyricist
See also List of Indian comedians List of stand-up comedians
References
External links