Salman Khan joins David Dhawan’s 75th birthday celebration with family and friends

An intimate celebration honours the filmmaker’s legacy and decades in Hindi cinema

Last updated: August 17, 2026 | 08:22

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

2 MIN READ

Writer-director Rumy Jafry shares glimpses of David Dhawan’s 75th birthday celebration with Salman Khan and Varun Dhawan.

X/Rumy Jafry

Dubai: Filmmaker David Dhawan marked his 75th birthday on Sunday with an intimate celebration surrounded by family, close friends and Bollywood stars, with superstar Salman Khan among the guests who joined the special occasion.

The birthday gathering brought together some of the biggest names from the Hindi film industry, including David’s sons Varun Dhawan and Rohit Dhawan. Photos from the celebration showed the family sharing warm moments as they celebrated the veteran director’s milestone birthday.

Varun Dhawan paid a heartfelt tribute to his father, describing him as the “chillest dad” and celebrating the filmmaker’s loving and easy-going personality. The actor shared glimpses from the occasion, highlighting the close bond he shares with his father.

Known for delivering some of Bollywood’s most popular comedy entertainers, David Dhawan has directed several memorable films during his decades-long career. His collaborations with Salman Khan include successful entertainers such as Judwaa and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, making their friendship one of the industry’s most admired associations.

The birthday celebration reflected Dhawan’s long-standing relationships within Bollywood, with colleagues and friends coming together to honour a filmmaker whose movies have entertained generations of audiences.

As David Dhawan entered his 75th year, the celebrations became a tribute not only to his personal milestone but also to his remarkable contribution to Indian cinema.

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Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

Salman Khan joins David Dhawan’s 75th birthday celebration with family and friends

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