‘I might go and settle there’: Sunny Deol plays up the rootedness of South films, asks Bollywood to take lessons

“I wish Bollywood producers learn something from South producers. Make it Hindi cinema first, and then learn how to make cinema. The script is the hero there. I had so much fun that I’m already asking them to make another film with me. Kya pata wahin ja ke bas jau main (what if I just go and settle there),” said Sunny at the trailer launch event in Mumbai on Monday.

Gopichand also explained why he cast Sunny in his Bollywood debut. “I watched Sunny Deol’s action films growing up. I watch them before starting all my films. Ghatak, Ziddi, Damini, which is my favourite. I want to reintroduce the Sunny Deol of Damini to the audience.”

Sunny underlined the need for Bollywood to go back to the rootedness of his films in the 1990s. “Because of foreign influence, we forget what’s happening in our own country. We should go back to our roots and make films like Ghatak, Damini and Arjun,” he said.

In Jaat, Sunny plays the titular character, a tough guy who goes up against the villain, played by Randeep Hooda. For Randeep, it was rather strange to be cast in a film called Jaat, and not play a (Haryanvi) jaat, which he is in real life.

“I wouldn’t have done it if anyone else other than Sunny Deol would have played Jaat. I was nervous initially because he’s been the hero of all jaats,” said Randeep

Sunny also recalled how he convinced Randeep to take up the part. “I just told him, ‘Look at Bobby. He plays the villain, but that’s just a character,” said Sunny, referring to his younger brother Bobby Deol’s resurgence as a menacing villain in Animal and Kanguva.

Sunny explained that he’d also like to play a villain on screen, but his chances get thwarted by his perception. “I’d definitely do it because I consider them characters. But the director and producer should have the guts to do it with me. I did films like Mohalla Assi, but the fans want to see me in a certain light. I’m doing a couple of films on OTT to satiate my creativity,” said Sunny.

Vineet Kumar Singh, who stars in the film alongside Sunny and Randeep, is in fact an OTT star trying to break through the mainstream. “I always felt like the films I was doing weren’t reaching out to the masses. Chhaava changed that. Even when the poster and teaser of Jaat released, the audience went back to watching my earlier films,” said Vineet.

Vineet also attributed Sunny’s presence as the primary reason why they agreed to do Jaat. “I usually look at four cards while choosing a film — director, producer, my role, and money. But for this role, I kept all my cards aside because I got Sunny Deol,” said Vineet.

“They say they’ve seen me since childhood. I don’t realise I’ve become so old. But maybe that’s in my blood,” said Sunny, admiring how not only him and Bobby, but also their 89-year-old father Dharmendra continues to dominate the box office, with hits like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023). Does that put pressure on him? “It’s not pressure. We’d been waiting for so long. But that’s how we are: we keep trying, we don’t back off,” said Sunny.