Sunny Deol has been fine-tuning scripts during the lockdown, promises to surprise himself and his audience
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 29, 2020)

While many are losing their cool after being cooped up at home for close to 100 days, Sunny Deol has taken the lockdown in his stride. “Initially, one had thought it would be just for a few days, but ab toh aadat si ho gayi hai. As an actor, one travelled a lot and was away from home for three-four months at a stretch. So, getting to spend time with the family is a welcome change,” he asserts. The actor-filmmaker admits that given a choice, he’d rather be at the family farm in Khandala with father Dharmendra, where one is in the midst of nature and can move around at will.

“In the city, you’re confined to your home. There are times when I wish I was a nobody, so I could get around more. But I’ve reconnected with some old buddies through a chat group and happily spend a couple of hours on it,” he shares, revelling in a newfound sense of contentment and an awareness of all those things that kept one busy without reason and made one spend unnecessarily to keep up with the Joneses. “That’s the beautiful part of this lockdown and it’s imperative that we don’t forget these lessons once the Coronavirus pandemic is behind us.”

Prod him on his favourite corner in the house and Sunny reveals with a chuckle that with brother Bobby, his sons and nephews at home, the gym is the most used room. “It’s always houseful at the home gym these days. This unexpected break has not only given us time for introspection but also to work out and get physically fit and strong,” he points out, impressing on the need to build one’s immunity.

Professionally, Sunny has been working on a couple of scripts and is hoping to crack them in the next few weeks and roll soon. “This virus is not going away anytime soon. So, till a vaccine arrives, we have to learn to live with it. Despite the deep-rooted fear, we have to get our lives back on track,” he says, sounding like the one-man army we have seen on screen so many times setting the world right. He’s quick to add that we also have to be hygienic, sensible and learn to work with fewer people on the sets. “All the departments will have to rethink how to work with an effective rather than an excessive crew. If we are being cautious, it’s because we can’t afford for shooting to grind to a halt again and waste more money.”

Sunny’s last projects were son Karan’s launch vehicle, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, a home production with him as the director, and Blank as an actor; both opened last year. Now, he wants to focus only on acting. “I won’t be producing or directing films for a little while; I just want to act, act and act,” he asserts, adding that he will be working with outside set-ups, good directors and scripts that challenge him as an actor. “I want to surprise myself and my audience, evolve as an actor, wear characters I can give life to, and infuse with the colour of my personality,” he says fervently.

If he could turn the clock back, is there something he’d do differently, you wonder. There’s a reflective pause before he confesses that whatever he has done so far was dictated not by what he wanted but where life took him. “Eventually, it’s destiny that determines the course of your journey, so I’d probably do the same things again. Your part in this process is to keep working hard and honestly,” he says simply.

Sunny’s repertoire boasts of films like Sohni Mahiwal, Arjun, Dacait, Ghayal, Damini, Ghatak, Border and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, that any actor would be proud of and makers would want to remake. “I’ve been lucky,” he says modestly. “These films were difficult to back, but I jumped in without any idea of how they’d turn out, because I liked the story and the character. They make me feel good today. Over the next year and two, I will give much more as an actor to my fans, particularly the next generation,” he promises.

And what about Karan? Sunny informs that his son, too, has two films that he has been working on and there will be announcements as soon as lockdown rules are relaxed. “But I’m not making any of them,” he adds.

There was talk of him launching his second son, Rajveer, too. Sunny reasons that, with a new actor, a script takes time to flesh out. “It’s the real hero and only after it’s locked, can one get down to the casting,” he says, admitting that after Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, he has come to realise that the scenario today is very different from when he debuted in Betaab, and that being from a film family can be a drawback rather than an asset. “People perceive success differently now. I wanted to be an actor and unfortunately, my boys want the same. And I’m proud that it’s not for the stardom but because they enjoy the art. Their talent, hard work and destiny will take them ahead.”

Meanwhile, Sunny, a newly elected MP from Gurdaspur, has been quietly helping migrants from across the world and the country reach home safely, arranging food and supplies for the needy in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis. But bring up the subject and he says awkwardly, “I don’t like to talk about this. I’m doing what I can. I haven’t been able to travel, but now that flights are becoming safer, I plan to go there soon. Since it’s a rural belt, the welfare of the farmers is my primary concern. I’m also looking out for youngsters, particularly students. I got into politics to make the lives of those who elected me better. I’m happy doing this and they are happy with what I have done and what I can do. There are a lot of dreams, not for myself, but for them. I hope to realise them,” he signs off.

MP Sunny Deol, who is often slammed for poor Lok Sabha attendance, to keep busier from next month as he signs Raghavapudi's Hindi thriller
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; March 11, 2020)

Over the past two years, Sunny Deol was so focussed on creating the perfect launchpad for son Karan that he did not take on any acting assignments. Now, the actor is big screen-bound again — he has given his nod to a thriller, which will be helmed by South director Hanu Raghavapudi.

"It's not a remake of any South film. It's an interesting subject, loaded with action and suspense. The character is different from what I have done till date. Though it's too early to say anything about my role, it requires me to put in some extra efforts," says Deol of the project that goes on floors next month.

So where does that leave his political commitments, one wonders? After all, last year, the BJP MP from Gurdaspur constituency had appointed his personal assistant to ensure "smooth flow of work" — a move that was widely criticised. Worse, in January this year, posters of 'Missing MP Sunny Deol' were put up at Pathankot railway station, alluding to his frequent absence from Parliament.

However, Deol is confident that he will be able to juggle the film's shoot and politics. "I will divide my time equally between both. Even if I am not in my constituency, I ensure that I keep myself up-to-date about what is happening there. I give my attention whenever needed."

Director Raghavapudi, who has helmed Telugu films like Andala Rakshashi (2012) and I Am Famous (2007), is elated to collaborate with the action star. "It's a dream come true for me. The movie will have daredevil action sequences, and there is no bigger action star than him," he says. The film will be produced by Anuj Sharma, who has worked with Deol on Apne (2007) and Singh Saab The Great.

Dharmendra introduces grandson Karan Deol and his leading lady Sahher Bambba, as Sunny dashes to Gurdaspur
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 6, 2019)

On Thursday, Dharmendra took centrestage to introduce the third generation of Deols with the trailer of his grandson Karan’s debut film, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. The event was postponed by a day due to heavy rains, which the veteran actor deemed “the shower of God’s blessings” on their film.

He was accompanied by Karan and his co-star, Sahher Bambba, while Sunny Deol, who has directed the film which is co-produced by Shariq Patel, had to give the event a miss to reach Gurdaspur, his constituency, following a blast in a firecracker factory. For Dharmendra, it was an emotional moment, as he went on to applaud the film’s team for shooting in harsh weather conditions in Himachal. “My son and my unit dared to go where even eagles can’t,” he said.

Proceedings took a nostalgic turn when the patriarch shared an incident from his grandson’s childhood, when little Karan accidentally shot at a ceiling while playing with a loaded gun. Dharmendra went on to say, “The one thing I don’t want Karan to inherit from me is my drinking habit.” And would he be up to do a love story himself? The 83-year-old actor quipped, “I can do anything. I am still full of love and action.”

Meanwhile, Karan kept it short while addressing the topic of nepotism. “I hope my work will speak for itself,” he said, before going on to add that his dad’s discipline on the set helped him grow, both as a person and an actor.

And what was it like tackling intimate scenes, considering his father was behind the camera? “Dad said it would be better if he just stayed behind the monitor instead of telling us what to do. All he instructed us to do was feel the character and go for it,” Karan said, to which Dharmendra remarked, “His grandfather’s soul came into him at the time.”

While the youngest Deol went on to reveal that he would also like to do animated voiceovers, comedy and even play a villain to step out of his comfort zone, fellow debutante Sahher said that she had always wanted to become an actress but never took any training. “I learned everything from Sunny sir,” she said, adding that the Deols are “like family and Karan is a friend for life”.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 18, 2019)

Weeks after he won the elections from the Gurdaspur constituency, actor-turned-MP Sunny Deol attended his first session of the 17th Lok Sabha at the Parliament House in New Delhi yesterday. With his political duties taking centre-stage, Deol has decided to push the release of his son Karan's launch pad, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas.

The youngster, who is the third generation of the family to foray into the movies, will now have a date with the audience only on September 20 instead of July 19. In doing so, it will clash with Sonam K Ahuja's The Zoya Factor. A source working closely on the Deol-directed film reveals, "Ever since his victory in Gurdaspur last month, Sunny has been busy taking stock of the situation and planning various measures that need to be implemented in the city. Knowing the important role that a debut vehicle plays in an actor's career all too well, Sunny doesn't want to give divided attention to Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. So, he thought it best to push the love story by two months."

While the Sahher Bambba-starrer is currently on the editing table, the source adds that the title track is yet to be shot. "There are two to three days of shoot left on the song. Sunny is expected to be back in the city by the weekend and train his focus on the film. The post-production is simultaneously going on." Confirming the news, Deol's spokesperson said, "The film is now coming on September 20. The actor was busy with his political duties because of which a bit of post-production work is remaining and that will be completed soon."

With Sunny Deol contesting the ongoing election, sources say actor's long-in-the-works actioner with Santoshi delayed once again
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 1, 2019)

All was well in Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi's world last year, when the duo ended their 16-year-long feud and decided to revive the director's dream project, Fateh Singh. Glad to reunite with his favourite director, Deol had told mid-day, "The film is in a similar space as what Santoshi and I have done in the past. I can't divulge too many details at this point." Revolving around a Sikh warrior, the action drama was to go on floors in June. However, sources suggest that the long-in-the-works project has hit another roadblock with the leading man actively pursuing his political ambitions.

A source reveals, "Many people were surprised when Sunny suddenly announced that he is joining the BJP. The actor has filed his nomination papers from Gurdaspur constituency, which has been a stronghold of the party. If he wins the election, he may have to put his acting commitment on hold for a while. Santoshi had already started the pre-production for the film, since he was hoping to roll by June. With the recent turn of events, it is likely that the film won't kick off before year-end."

His plunge into politics aside, Deol's launchpad for son Karan, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, may prove to be another deterrent. "He is yet to finish the patchwork of the love story. Only after that will he concentrate on his acting assignments." Santoshi remained unavailable for comment.

DNA (April 30, 2019)

Sunny Deol, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha 2019 polls from Gurdaspur, Punjab, yesterday. He was accompanied by his younger brother, Bobby. The brothers share a close bond. This was proved yet again on Monday when the Race 3 actor travelled all the way from Bhopal to be by his brother’s side. Bobby flew to Amritsar from the Madhya Pradesh capital and then took the road to reach Gurdaspur to ensure that he was with his elder sibling during this important occasion.

Earlier in the day, their father, veteran actor Dharmendra sought support of the people for Sunny’s victory. He tweeted, “We seek your support…Support us…it will be your victory. It (victory) will be for my Punjab’s brothers and sisters. It (victory) will be for India’s beautiful part, Gurdaspur.”

Sunny will take on Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar from Gurdaspur. The late Vinod Khanna had earlier represented the seat for BJP.

Exclusive: Bollywood and cricket stars get one step closer to their bow in the electoral potboiler. Also starring: Sonu Nigam, Gurdas Mann, and others
Dharmendra Jore (MID-DAY; December 5, 2018)

A Pan-India survey by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party about the winning prospects for stars from Bollywood and cricket has strengthened the likely candidatures of A-listers like Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir for the 2019 polls.

While some of these names, including Madhuri's, have been making the rounds for a while now, the survey has zeroed in on Pune or Mumbai as the most apt battlefield for the Dhak-Dhak star.

Similarly, the survey — respondents included hard-core BJP supporters, neutrals and anti-BJP voters alike — has said that the swashbuckling Sehwag's prospects in Rohtak will be bright, while his stoic former India opening partner Gambhir will be best suited for a constituency from New Delhi.

Sources told mid-day that the surveyors provided respondents with the names of probable star candidates and asked them to rate their winning chances. In constituencies that the party currently holds, the questionnaire slotted them alongside sitting MPs and their prospects. In non-BJP seats, the survey featured the stars alongside other hopefuls.

As per the survey, the star-struck Gurdaspur constituency, a BJP fortress where the late Vinod Khanna held sway for many decades, might feature the political debut of bhangra king Gurdas Mann. Several reports have said the seat would go to Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, but he is a Canadian citizen and cannot contest elections in India.

The survey found that Marathi mulgi Madhuri will be a strong candidate from Pune where the sitting BJP MP Anil Shirole is on a weak wicket. Besides Madhuri, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar and state minister Girish Bapat were also favoured by the respondents.

Madhuri emerged popular among respondents in Mumbai, too. Sources told mid-day that she could contest one of the Mumbai seats depending on the competition in Pune and the seat-sharing arrangement with Shiv Sena (Party president Amit Shah met her in June). Sources said Nigam could be considered for a reserved constituency, but mid-day could not independently verify if the singer falls in any socially reserved category.

Good wicket in cow belt
While it is all Bollywood stars in the West, it is cricket all the way in the cow belt. It is common knowledge that cricketer Gambhir (who incidentally, announced his retirement on Tuesday evening) and his now-retired senior Sehwag are diehard BJP supporters.

Gambhir — who never misses an opportunity to stand up for the armed forces and is equally vocal in putting down what he thinks are anti-national voices; also on Tuesday , he took a dig at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Twitter — was popular among respondents in New Delhi, where firebrand party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi is the sitting MP.

Sehwag — who famously took on 19-year-old student Gurmehar Kaur to brandish his right-wing credentials — could be fielded against Congress strongman Deepender Singh Hooda. Unlike Gambhir, Sehwag has a strong grassroots presence in Rohtak thanks to his world-class education institutions and social work.

Proven formula
The idea of fielding film and television stars worked well for the BJP in 2014. Saas-bahu serial actor Smriti Irani, who took on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi and lost in 2014, is the highest-ranking star in the BJP. Other star lawmakers include Hema Malini (Mathura), Kirron Kher (Chandigarh), Babul Supriyo (Asansol), Manoj Tiwari (north-east Delhi).

Two others — ex-cricketer Kirti Azad (Darbhanga) and Shatrughan Sinha (Patna Sahib) — have recently turned against the party leadership. While he refused to comment on the survey, BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said having celebrities on board was part of party's all-inclusive policy that has given it great leverage all these years.

"Achievers from various fields come with their own experiences and expertise. We have always welcomed them into the party fold and given them roles that suit their strengths. This has helped in governance and policy making. The party organisation too benefits from such successful people," he said.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; April 24, 2018)

The 65th National Awards will be held in New Delhi on May 3. Late actor Vinod Khanna has been honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award which has been won by other stalwarts in acting like Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Shashi Kapoor and Manoj Kumar in the past. The actor was undoubtedly one of Bollywood’s most dashing poster boys in the 1970s. After making a mark in Hindi cinema with villainous roles, he smoothly transitioned into playing the leading man. Last year, Vinod Khanna breathed his last at the age of

70. BT reached out to his eldest son, actor Rahul Khanna and got him talking about his relationship with his father, his favourite films and much more…

What are your first thoughts on Vinod Khanna being posthumously awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke award?
It’s a proud moment, naturally! Apart from being an actor, at his core he was the most avid film fan and, up until his last days, his favourite pastime was watching movies. So, being given this honour would have really meant a lot to him. If he had been around to receive this award, he would have been ecstatic.

Who is likely to go and collect the award on his behalf at the ceremony that will be held on May 3? Would you be keen on receiving the award along with your brother, actor Akshaye Khanna?
I’m not sure about that at this point.

During your growing-up years, were you aware that your father was such a huge star? Or did the realisation happen much later?
My parents split up when we were very young, so we didn’t actually grow up with dad around. However, I occasionally visited him on his film sets and I did have a reasonable notion that he was a big star. When you’re a kid, you don’t know any different and you just accept that as your reality. Some dads went to the office, some flew planes and our dad just happened to make movies.

His good looks are always spoken about and reams have been written about it. Give us an insight into the kind of person he was...
Dad had a larger-than-life persona, but he was unusually down to earth and always approachable to his fans and his constituents in Gurdaspur. As far as possible, he loved driving himself and was well known for stopping his car to give a ride to old ladies.

What are some of the things you enjoyed doing with your father. You once posted a picture of you teaching him how to navigate Twitter...
(Laughs!) Yes, he decided to give social media a try and got onto Twitter. When he started out on social media, he asked me for a few tips, but I think he was more of a people’s person and preferred connecting with his fans and constituents face-to-face. For him, that connect was more real.

Did you watch most of your dad’s films? Any favourites?
I love Qurbani (1980) and Dayavan (1988), but, Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) is my all-time favourite by a mile.

Your dad was a spiritually inclined person. Did you get to know that part of his persona?
That was a highly personal aspect of his life and I don’t think I necessarily knew too much about it.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 7, 2014)

Actor-politician Vinod Khanna has just flown in from Gurdaspur where he has recently contested as a a BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. He is eagerly waiting the results of the polls and the fate of his recent film Koyelaanchal that hits theatres this Friday. Mirror caught up with VK at his Malabar Hill residence. Excerpts from the interview:

So do you think you’ll win this time from Gurdaspur?
I think I’ll sail through. Last time I lost by a narrow margin of 4000 votes to Partap Singh Bajwa. But, he has not been able to flag off a single project in the last five years despite getting Rs 5 crore for development from the Central Government each year. Where have the Rs 25 crore gone? I’m told he didn’t even want to contest this time but the Congress had no other candidate to put up against me.

He’s been mockingly referring to you as ‘Mumbai Ka babu’…
I think he is insinuating that I’m not available when the fact is, I go to Gurdaspur at least twice a month. This time too I insisted on contesting from there since I have a list of road, railway and bridge projects which I have worked on and will further work on if voted to power. I’ve already sounded out Narendra Modi on this during a rally in Pathankot and he has announced a special package.

Do you think Modi will make a good prime minister?
Yes. Modi knows our problems and has the solutions which he speaks about in his speeches. Even if we fall short by a few seats we'll easily form the right alliances.

And Rahul Gandhi?
I don’t think that Congress has a chance. I can’t imagine Rahul as PM, he is so inexperienced. He has not even been a minister. How can he head the nation?


How confident are you of Koyelaanchal, a coal mafia expose?
I did a couple of films after Dabangg, but Koyelaanchal is the one role that has satisfied me after a long time. Director Ashu Trikha finished this hard-hitting film in one schedule. I think he has done a fabulous job.
 
Was it tough to shoot on real locations?
Actors are used to working in tough conditions. I am from an era when we didn’t even have vanity vans. I was the first actor to get one.

Is Dabangg 3 happening?
We have been talking about it. If it happens, I think I’ll be in it (smiles).

The interview will be incomplete without discussing your sons—Akshaye, Rahul and Sakshi…
Akshaye was on a sabbatical. He turned down several films. But he told me that he has now informed producers that he is ready to return. Rahul is busy with ads and stage shows while Sakshi will be launched soon as an actor in a Milan Luthria film.