He wears his family name with pride, but at the same time, Karan Deol, Sunny Deol’s elder son, is also striving to forge an identity of his own, away from the shadow of his famous grandfather, father and uncles. He hopes that one day, his work will speak for itself. Though his Bollywood debut Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019), directed by his father, failed to click at the box office, Karan says that it has motivated him to work harder. In an interview with BT, the young actor opens up about being known as Sunny Deol’s son, dealing with failure and the valuable lessons he has learnt from his family members. Excerpts:

Well, at that point, I was in talks for some projects, but everything was verbal. You know how it is; until you start shooting, there is no guarantee about anything.

So, yes, the lockdown was tough because after PPDKP’s failure at the box office, I was trying to find my foothold, and then, we were all locked up at home. There were sleepless nights, a lot of frustration and pent-up emotions. But, one day, I saw an old video of mine — it featured me acting for the first time. I saw how happy and at ease I was in that video. That’s when I told myself, ‘Rocky (his nickname), the reason you became an actor is because you loved acting. You didn’t care about anything else.’ That motivated me to not give up. Looking back, the lockdown was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to recalibrate myself and come back stronger.

I think it taught me patience. I have learnt that you shouldn’t rush into anything. You need to be relaxed and patient so that one fine day, when opportunities knock at your door, you are 200 per cent ready for them. Not just as an actor, I grew as a person as well. My outlook and perspective underwent a change. I was with my family at home, and I knew that I was better off than a lot of people. I had it all — a loving family, a roof over my head, food and other amenities. This pandemic taught me to be grateful for everything that I have.

I talked to all of them and my chacha (Bobby) told me to not give up. He said that he is struggling till date to prove himself in the industry. An actor’s fight never stops and we are only as good as our last project. My father always tells me to look at him. He is still fighting and not giving up. Life isn’t a straight line, it has its ups and downs. You have to overcome many obstacles and each one makes you stronger. Seeing my chacha get back and taste success again at this age was very inspiring for me. I thought that if he can do it, why can’t I? If he hasn’t quit trying and has kick-started his career again, there’s nothing stopping me either. I have realised that at the end of the day, you can’t predict anything in life. Today, my failure doesn’t define me. It only motivates me to work harder and do better.

If that film had worked out, I would have been in a different space professionally. Also, I might have become laid back. But because it didn’t, the fire inside me is burning even more. I feel a different kind of energy when I wake up. I am striving to better myself every single day. People are entitled to their opinion, but I know what I am capable of doing. Next time around, I want to be appreciated as an actor whether the film works or not.

Well, I am Sunny Deol’s son, but I haven’t achieved anything on my own yet. You see, a doctor’s child will be called a doctor’s child.

Unfortunately, in our industry, everything gets magnified because of the fame that comes with it and the fact that we are in the limelight. So, until I prove myself, I don’t think I deserve any special treatment or attention. Eventually, I want to be known as Karan, I want my own identity. All my life, I have been known as Sunny Deol’s son, I have never been introduced by my first name. It’s no one’s fault, that’s the kind of world we live in. My father went through it, too, but he found his own space. The audience will slowly accept you for who you are.

My dada was brilliant at what he did, so is my father as well as my chachas (Bobby and Abhay Deol). They have their own identities, and they stand out from each other. Hopefully, with more work, I will forge my own identity, too.

Yes, I did get a launch vehicle, but if the audience doesn’t accept me, how far can I go? Only your work speaks for you in the end. I would like to ask these people if they would like to be in my shoes and deal with the criticism that I faced after PPDKP. It is very easy to pass comments and assume that everything is rosy for star kids. Today, the competition is fierce. You have to prove your talent, or else you will fizzle out. Our cinema is also changing; larger-than-life films are fewer today, and there’s an increasing demand for realistic content. So, you have to figure out how to stay relevant in this day and age.

Given my dad’s calibre, acting in front of him will make me nervous. Then there is my dada, who is a legend, and my chacha. So, I will be jittery, but it would be a dream come true. I feel fortunate to work with all three of them, especially my dada. Everyone is overwhelmed, and I am sure that it will be an emotional first day at the shoot.