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12 Feb, 2016

There are certain images of Sunny Deol that every ‘80’s Bollywood buff is familiar with: the florid-faced man angrily shouting from behind bars, pummeling a gang of hoodlums with his infamous ‘dhai kilo ka haath’, rescuing whimpering damsels in distress and easily dodging countless bullets as he launches his fists of fury against society’s vile perpetrators.

Last weekend, with Ghayal Once Again, Sunny returned to cinematic screens in all his brawling, roaring glory. It’s the sequel to his hit from 1990, Ghayal, and aside from acting in the movie, Sunny takes on the mantle of director.

Ghayal Once Again promises to be action-packed
Ghayal Once Again promises to be action-packed

Ghayal has always been close to my heart,” says Sunny. “I remember when Raj Kumar Santoshi brought the script to us. My father and I really liked it and decided to produce it."

"A lot of people close to us didn’t like the movie’s concept and felt that it had something missing in it," continues Deol. "We decided to go on and release the movie and it went on to become a huge hit. It’s why I decided to direct the sequel. This movie, also, talks about vices within society. It’s a movie that youngsters can relate to.”

Sunny hopes to repeat the same box-office magic with Ghayal Once Again. All his old tricks are well in place: he’s still the angry hero, albeit a middle-aged one, ready to unleash his rage against malevolent villains. He still believes in heavy doses of action and, incidentally, he still can’t shake a leg to a Bollywood song. “I don’t think I’ll ever like dancing,” he laughs. “It just embarrasses me.”

In the 21st century, though, it takes much more than a well-loved hero to lure audiences to the cinema.

Can a old favourite pique a younger crowd's interest?

In a long spate of pre-release promotions, Sunny’s schedule ricochets through city-wide tours across India as well as Dubai, appearances on television talk shows and press interviews.

Sunny Deol at a Ghayal Once Again promotional event - Photo courtesy Indiglamour
Sunny Deol at a Ghayal Once Again promotional event - Photo courtesy Indiglamour

“On a personal level, I’d rather just make a movie and then relax at home,” he laughs. “But generating publicity has now become imperative in order to pique audience curiosity. The world’s become a global village with everyone connected to smartphones and with information available at the fingertip. Audiences have gotten accustomed to hearing about a movie repetitively before they feel inclined to go and see it.”

There’s much more that has changed in Bollywood since Sunny’s heydays. Has Ghayal Once Again been adapted to appease today’s audiences, many of whom aren’t familiar with the original? “I do think that audiences will appreciate the movie,” he says. “It has a concrete storyline and presents a subject that has value. It certainly doesn’t adhere to the current trend of infusing masala into a movie simply to generate business.”


I’d rather just make a movie and then relax at home,” laughs Deol. “But generating publicity has now become imperative in order to pique audience curiosity. Audiences have gotten accustomed to hearing about a movie repetitively before they feel inclined to go and see it.


This means that Ghayal Once Again has no item songs to lure audiences. What it does boast, though, are action sequences orchestrated by Dan Bradley from Hollywood that ‘keep things real,’ according to Sunny.

Was it difficult for him, in his late ‘50’s, to pack in the punches?

“Not at all, I am in the best of shape,” he professes. “I play badminton and squash with young 20-year olds and beat them regularly. I also follow a healthy lifestyle. I wake up early and work out. The one thing I don’t control is my diet – I am a pure Punjabi, I can’t resist food!”

Younger leading ladies and a family legacy

Despite his agility in the action sequences, doesn’t he think that he is too old to star opposite a heroine as young as Soha Ali Khan, his leading lady in Ghayal Once Again? “A lot of people have asked me this but I don’t think it is a problem. As actors, we just play a character and Soha does a fantastic job in the movie. Her role fits well into the storyline and that is what essentially matters.”

Soha Ali Khan plays the leading lady opposite Sunny Deol in Ghayal Once Again - Photo courtesy Now Running
Soha Ali Khan plays the leading lady opposite Sunny Deol in Ghayal Once Again - Photo courtesy Now Running

But even while he romances his young heroine on screen, Sunny is making plans to launch his son Karan Deol into cinema. “Karan is more interested in acting as opposed to many young Bollywood actors today, who feel that a nip and a tuck is all that is needed to be a success. I am looking for an interesting story to mark his debut.”

Sunny is, of course, following family tradition when he talks of mentoring his son’s career. He, as well as his younger brother Bobby, have constantly sought career guidance from their father, veteran actor Dharmendra.

“I still constantly turn to him for advice and Bobby is also very supportive,” says Sunny. “They are going to be watching the movie for the first time today. Even I haven’t seen it completely in one go. I know that when I do, I’ll find some flaw or the other and will begin stressing about it. I’d rather just release it to the public and see how it fares.”


“I don’t like creating political propaganda with a movie,” says Deol. “We have made sure that Ghayal Once Again remains politically correct and doesn’t hurt anyone’s sentiments.”


Given present global climate, has he made sure that Ghayal Once Again does not upset the value systems of any community, thereby risking getting banned in particular markets? “I don’t like creating political propaganda with a movie,” he says. “Sometimes, when you’re acting out a script, you don’t even realize that you are playing a role that other people may find offensive. Still, we have made sure that Ghayal Once Again remains politically correct and doesn’t hurt anyone’s sentiments.”

Dharmendra and the Deol kids - Photo courtesy Scoop Whoop
Dharmendra and the Deol kids - Photo courtesy Scoop Whoop

One nascent market that Bollywood seems keen to appease is Pakistan, where Indian movies have always been phenomenally popular. Where pirated video cassettes were smuggled into Pakistan in earlier days, the revival of cinemas means that Indian filmmakers are now gaining profits from audiences in Pakistan. Sunny agrees, “Pakistan has always been a strong market and vice versa, here in India, we watch Pakistani dramas just as avidly. My parents watch them and the level of scripts currently being written in Pakistan is very impressive. I wish we could incorporate some of that talent into our movies.”

Fist fests meet high emotion polygamy-inclined family dramas – now that would be one heck of a Bollywood movie. For now, Sunny’s just doing what he’s best known for – beating up the bad boys. But will a script inspired by the ‘90’s work in present-day cinema? Ghayal Once Again has released this weekend – we’ll know soon enough.

Comments

Pak Khan Feb 12, 2016 01:57pm
The fact is his he has never been a good actor. Doesn't have any dialogue delivery, no acting skills and laughable dancing moves. He has been in industry for nearly 35 years and hardly has a dozen hit movies. So I dont agree with him recovering glory, rather hoping another fluke.
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umer Feb 12, 2016 02:45pm
You get, The Expendables!
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Iman Feb 12, 2016 02:45pm
I saw the movie so that I can have few laughters!! SURPRISINGLY Wow this movie is amazing and you get glued to it,it's well made and has a story line! Nothing is overdone , however Sunny Bhaaji is Sunny Bhaaji :) Well made and awesome....after Dilwale type movies which are pathetic this is a fresh breath of air....Enjoyed watching it and I have no qualms in saying it is one of th ebest Bollywood movies .....go Watch It!!
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سے Shaam Feb 12, 2016 02:51pm
Just like SRK, Amir and Salman.Sunny perhaps is well past his expiry date but he still packs a better PUNCH.
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DIPAK SINGH Feb 12, 2016 03:31pm
Nice old photo...
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Dial Medico Feb 12, 2016 04:11pm
Its nice and lovely movey ..recommended
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Bollywood punch man Feb 12, 2016 04:15pm
Welcome back...will be interesting to watch Sunny with his punch lines...reviving sweet old school/Uni days for many of us... Good luck.
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umer Feb 12, 2016 06:30pm
Maybe Sunny Deol's dad, Amitabh Bachan, Rishi Kapoor and a few other old timers should make the Bollywood version of The Expendables.
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hellboy Feb 12, 2016 06:44pm
@Pak Khan : Just watch "Damini","ghayal","Jiddi".You will know how he has the superior acting caliber.He has won two national awards.Even mr king khan can't do acting other than romantic roles.He looked like a joker in Don.
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KnowTheTruth Feb 12, 2016 07:27pm
@Pak Khan Agree on Sunny's skills as an actor, but he has delivered legendary films like Border, which is a must watch for Pakistanis and Indians.
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Khwarezmi Feb 12, 2016 07:33pm
He was a bad actor in the 90s and is most likely even worse today. Also, his anti-Pakistani movies and stand will not help him win over any fans in Pakistan atleast.
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gangadin Feb 12, 2016 07:49pm
What an accurate description of Sunny Deol.His brother Bobby is just as bad an actor as him,or may be even worse.I guess this family is afflicted with the same curse as the Kapoor family,being a movie star without any acting talent.Look at Randhir,Rajiv,Rishi,Karishma,or Karina Kapoor.
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Zack Khan-USA Feb 12, 2016 08:06pm
@Khwarezmi I agree, he is like Indian Rhambo, who can kill 10,000 Pak soldiers without scartch to his self!! Only in Bollywood!!!!
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BRILLIANT Feb 12, 2016 08:35pm
The Indian Punjabi Lion! We love his movies, the sheer Punjabi bravery....and those not heroes doing some romcom cinema running around trees and falling in love in other people's weddings.
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DaveF Feb 12, 2016 11:48pm
Nice article by Maliha Rehman, let it be known that Sunny Deol is still very popular with Indian audience, as clearly evident from the response Ghayal Once Again has generated. Importantly, Sunny has done a fantastic job as a director, the story is very gripping, the action is superb and believable (no one files ,100 feet away), the acting by all is superlative. Over all the picture is a very good entertainment, far far better then jokes like Dilwale...SRK had to pay Rs 25 crore to the distributors for their losses.
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ss Feb 13, 2016 12:38am
Sunny is a great actor.He can arouse patriotic spirit in u unlike khans and kumars.watch damini and ghatak and then u will realise how great an actor he is.I do agree that he is poor at dance and romance but no one comes close to him as far as action and dialogue delivery is concerned.This is one major reason why despite being out of limelight for 14 years,he boasts of even a larger fan following in rural areas of india
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Pak Bhai In USA Feb 13, 2016 05:36am
@gangadin Ranbit Kapoor is a good actor....Barfi...
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Mani Feb 13, 2016 09:37am
Check out the pain and anguish in Mrs Dharmendra's eyes.
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Chaitannya Mahatme Feb 13, 2016 09:54am
What Sunny Deol forgets is the brilliant support provided by all the other actors in the older movie. Meenakshi Sheshadri & Om Puri might had just 15 mins of on-screen time, but they made their presence felt. Also Amrish Puri's performance as a deceitful & merciless smuggler made his character in the film heroic.
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Nitin Feb 13, 2016 09:57am
Sunny Deol has delivered Massive Films like Gadar, Border, Damini, Ghayal etc etc. He should get into doing patriotic films and cater niche markets.
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pure Ind Feb 13, 2016 10:27am
@KnowTheTruth completely agree
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hiii Feb 13, 2016 10:52am
His movie may not be a super hit but it would earn profit for sure ..already done a business of 50 Cr
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Ibteda-e-Ishq Feb 13, 2016 03:03pm
Ghayal - Once Again is a pathetic movie. Sunny Deol has ruined his name.
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Manjit Feb 13, 2016 06:58pm
@Ibteda-e- Get a grip and find something to do.. Looks like you are bored
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MIR Feb 19, 2016 09:57am
@pak khan... show some respect, Sunny has been phenominal during his carrer has a massive fan following in the subcontinent. Movie will be worth watcing, for sure
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