Sunny Deol recently did Ghayal Once Again. The actor’s film took an impressive first-day opening. While his contemporaries (like Anil Kapoor) are doing two-hero films and have even played dads to grown-ups on screen, Sunny hasn’t done either. He doesn’t follow any industry norms. He makes films with his heart, even if they don’t seem logical financially. He won’t act in a film for any other reason except he wants to enjoy doing the character. Here he talks about why no hero will work with him, about body-building and the changes he doesn’t like in the film industry...
Are you averse to doing films with a rival or a new actor?
No. I will do a film with anybody. I am ready to act with any hero. But I can give you in writing, no hero will do a film with me.
Why do you feel that?
I don’t know. I am saying that I have no problem with anybody. Let’s see if they hear me out, if they want to, I dare them, come let’s work together.
You seem to share an easy camaraderie with Salman Khan. How about a film with him?
Why not? But it’s very difficult to have a subject that can bring us together.
Are you allergic to the idea of a two-hero project because of what happened in Darr?
No. I have done so many films with so many actors. That time due to respect I gave in, but ek galti ho gayi toh thodi na baar baar aadmi karega. Par yeh nahi ki main kaam karne se rook jaunga, lekin mein galti nahi hone doonga. I can also put my foot down, there I didn’t, and I let it go, so that was my mistake. I would love to work with any actor, it would be great fun.
A lot has changed since you began acting.
Initially, when we made films, I think we didn’t do anything to promote them. We just finished a film, the fans were aware of it, trailer chalta tha, theatre mein log wait karte the, ki film kab aane wali hai and they would go because those were cine-goers.
Any changes that you don’t like?
The whole nature of filmmaking has changed. Earlier, it was passionate producers wanting to make films. Now it is multinationals or studios who want to make the year-ending look good and they work according to that. They have spreadsheets and people sitting over their heads to deliver. Some teams have been picked up from somewhere, they are not passionate filmmakers, they do not know the ABCD of filmmaking, but they are given the power to make decisions. I mean, imagine we spend Rs 15 crores on print and publicity. It’s ridiculous and if you don’t do it, there is so much pressure.
Like the south industry has a cap on promotion spends.
South has existed because of unity, so we’ve got to have unity to make it work. And that is never going to happen.
Maybe the young generation will change things.
(Smiles) The young generation, instead of being actors, want to be cosmetic actors. Koi six-pack bana raha hai, koi karate seekh raha hai, koi dance seekh raha hai, koi kya seekh raha hai, they feel that’s how you become a star. And unfortunately, they are all doing it with shortcuts by taking steroids and supplements, because there’s so much pressure on them.
You were the one who started the trend of body building.
I didn’t start the body building trend. I was never into body building or anything. I was basically an athlete, I was a sports guy and I portrayed characters which were basically of the youth of that era. If you see the characters I played like Arjun and all, I never had any biceps or triceps or any of those kind of things. I was lean. You don’t have to be muscled to play a character like that. Acting is more than that. If I looked big, it is because that’s a kind of a bone structure we Deols have, otherwise that’s how it was. I mean even now if I am doing films, I’m not trying to bulk up or do all those things because I am portraying a character. If I was portraying a body builder, I will do it.
When will we see Bobby return on the screen?
I’m sure after this (Sunny’s film), he will get confident now and move around. He is such a good looker, and a good actor. I don’t know why he has gone into his shell… We are trying to push him out. Because what happens is that when you move away from something for a long time, an internal fear starts building and that’s what I am trying to break out of him. Ek do films karega, theek ho jayega.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sunny Deol")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}