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Journalism of Courage
His kids love him on screen. His fans continue to stand by him loyally. Sunny Deol has every reason to smile, he tells Rajeev Masand
Say hello the all-new Sunny Deol who may have polished up his act, but is still very much the shy guy inside…
Has age come in the way of your getting interesting roles?
No, it hasn’t. There was never a shortage of interesting roles. But I do avoid those typical college-student kind of roles because I’ve definitely grown out of that. I can’t run around trees foolishly. And that’s not only because I’m older, but also because I’m more mature and experienced. I can’t be playing such roles anymore.
For some reason, you haven’t had as many releases recently as most other actors have…
Well, that’s because I was busy directing Dillagi, and during the time I didn’t do any work outside. As a result, all the other films I was committed to got delayed, and I ended up having almost no other releases other than Dillagi at the time.
What convinced you to bury the hatchet with Rajkumar Santoshi?
Raj and I have shared a very good rapport, and we’ve done some extremely good movies together. For some time in the middle, we didn’t work together, but nothing’s really changed. This time he came to me and narrated a subject he was working on, and asked if I’d be interested in doing the film. I thought it was something exciting and so I’m doing it. It’s so simple.
But the two of you were close friends… Does that friendship still exist in your relationship with him?
I don’t know why you choose to use the word friendship. We have shared a very good rapport, and I’m sure we’re going to work equally hard on Lajja as we did while we were making Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak.
Have you figured out what went wrong with Dillagi?
To be honest, I haven’t. And what’s more, I don’t think I want to know. I did feel very disheartened when the film didn’t work, but that hasn’t stopped me from thinking about direction again.
So is there something you want to direct again?
Not for the moment. Right now I’m too busy doing films outside. And besides, I’m also very closely involved in strengthening our company, Vijeta Films. We are planning about five to six films by the end of this year, that will be produced by our company. We intend hiring outside directors for these movies. And we are looking for a suitable film with which we will launch my cousin Abhay — whom we affectionately call Dimpy — as an actor.
Are you in touch with your fans?
To an extent, yes. I read most of my fan mail, and the feedback is mostly positive. I’m very touched by the love and the faith they seem to have in me. I also realise that it’s a huge responsibility to live up to…
Producers often complain that Sunny Deol films take too long in the making. What has provoked such responses…
I admit that some of my films were delayed because of Dillagi
, but I had predicted this and had asked for permission from my producers to take time off their movies. The other thing that seems to work against me is my back problem. When it is aggravated, it puts me away for a month or two, and there is nothing I can do about it. But I’m not the kind of person who unnecessarily delays his films. Being a producer myself, I understand what other filmmakers go through when their films get delayed and go overbudget.
After so many years of doing it, have you finally begun to enjoy dancing?
I try to enjoy it, but I can’t bring myself to… (laughs)… I’m trying very hard, actually. This year, Bobby (Deol) and I are going on stage shows all over the country, so there’s no escape from dancing. I’d done shows many years ago, but I’d find the dancing too much, so I stayed away from them. Now I’ve decided to face my fears by taking them on…
Are there movies that make you cry?
Oh yes, I cry very easily. I guess I’m just one of those emotional people who is touched and hurt very easily by what he sees around him. Anything on screen that seems genuine manages to evoke a response from me.
Do your kids see your films?
They do, and they always love my movies. But they’re too small… They don’t like to see me getting beaten up or getting shouted at. They can’t even take it if someone says something rude about me.
You were very excited about London, a film that you intended to shoot in the UK with a British crew. But that ran into trouble, and there’s been no news since. Any chance of that being revived?
I doubt it. Too much time has passed since then, and even our appearances have changed considerably. But I feel bad about it, because I really was keen to take a shot at good cinema with London. I thought this film would bridge the gap between Indian cinema and British cinema. We were going to work within a new format. Sadly, none of that ended up happening.
Can you be objective about your brother Bobby? How do you rate him as an actor?
Sure I can be objective. If I were to compare him to the current crop of actors, I’d say he’s better than a lot of them. What’s also in his favour, is the fact that he’s eager to learn. He doesn’t behave as though he’s the best, and that, in my opinion, will take him a long way in his career.
I remember you telling me the last time we met that you were keen to make a movie which would feature your dad, your brother and yourself. Have you found the subject, or are you still looking?
We figured out that any film starring all three of us would have to be an action film. Then, we realised that we needed a villain who was strong enough to be pitted opposite the three of us. It would seem foolish to cast an actor who looked like he couldn’t handle us. Even in the case of Arnold Schwarzenegger films, either the villains are big, hefty guys, or powerful aliens who look like a threat. In our case, the search is on for a villain who looks like he can handle all three of us.
Finally, what do you think has been the factor for your longevity in this business?
You know, I have no idea. I just don’t know… But I guess it would have to be the fact that people seem to love me. I guess, till the day I feel wanted, I will continue to act.
