On the screen, Sunny Deol (66) (aka Ajay Singh Deol) is a one-man army that can fight hundreds of villains, but in real life, the macho hero is an emotional softie, who was busy fighting his tears at the 54th IFFI in Goa on Tuesday night. While Sunny’s iconic “Hindustan Zindabad” dialogue shook every soul at the film festival, when asked about his four-decade film journey in Bollywood, Sunny burst out crying. He could not speak a word for a good five minutes. Expressing gratitude toward his fans and directors, Sunny says, “I get emotional very quickly. That’s my problem. I have been really very lucky to work with some great directors. I also want to thank my fans who have been with me through thick and thin.”
Sunny’s Gadar 2 broke the record of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan in India. In fact, Gadar 2 is the highest-grossing Hindi film that earned over Rs 524.75 crore net in India. Many industry experts call it Sunny’s comeback film after two decades.
Thanking veteran film directors like Rahul Rawail, Rajkumar Santoshi, and Anil Sharma, Sunny says, “I am a director’s actor. I put full faith in the director’s vision. Some films worked, some did not, but I never gave up. People still remember the good work I have done in Betaab (1983), Arjun (1985), Ghayal (1990), Damini (1992), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2000) to name a few.” But after Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’s super success, Sunny’s career eclipsed for almost 20 years. “My struggle period started after that (Gadar: Ek Prem Katha). I did a few films but they did not do well. But I never gave up. I always wanted to be a fine actor. Not a superstar,” says Sunny candidly, wiping tears trickling down his cheeks.
Pointing out Sunny’s unique quality, industry veterans Rahul Rawail, Rajkumar Santoshi, and Anil Sharma say, “He is macho from the outside, but he is like a child, very vulnerable and emotional from the inside. He (Sunny) never used glycerine during emotional scenes even once in the films.” In fact, Santoshi and Sharma go on to say that the Bollywood industry never gave Sunny his due. Santoshi adds, “A good actor needs a moment, not just footage. I personally think that the industry has not done justice to Sunny’s talent. But God has done justice.” Sunny’s eyes welled up instantly. After a few moments, he composed himself saying, “I am a sportsperson and always follow my instincts when it comes to choosing scripts and stories.”
