At 67, Sunny Deol still has ‘Dhai Kilo Ka’ without reinventing herself

“Stop bodybuilding and dancing. Concentrate on acting. You have the talent – get on with it because that’s what we need. We are not bodybuilders,” actor Sunny Deol once advised aspiring actors. This philosophy has guided his four-decade career.

Now 67, he still packs a powerful ‘dhai kilo ka’ punch and remains a beloved figure in Hindi cinema. Unlike the Khans and Kapoors, he hasn’t felt the need to reinvent himself, proving that sometimes it’s better to be a master at it than a jack of all trades.

Born Ajay Singh Deol on October 19, 1957, Sunny ‘always wanted to be an actor’. Unlike his current on-screen character, he made his Bollywood debut in the romantic drama Betaab opposite Amrita Singh in 1983. The film was a box office success and featured the songs ‘Jab Hum Jawan Honge’, ‘Tumne Dee Awaaz’, and ‘ Baadal Yoon Garajta Hai’ were chartbusters.

After following up with a pair of love stories (Manzil Manzil and Sohni Mahiwal) in 1985, Sunny, with his simmering eyes and festering anger, perfectly expressed the fear and frustration of unemployed youth in Rahul Rawail’s film Arjun. The actor starred in the title role, launching his career to new heights and establishing himself as one of the greatest action heroes of all time.

Deol’s performance in Arjun already hinted at his potential, but his simmering intensity in the 1987 film Dacait (also directed by Rawail) and the 1998 drama Yateem (by JP Dutta) built on that promise. However, it is in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ghayal (1990) that he really broke out, captivating audiences and cementing his status as a force to be reckoned with.

As director Anil Sharma, who made the biggest hits of his career with Sunny (Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Apne), put it during an interview with India digital todaySunny managed to take action by linking anger to emotions.

“For action, emotion is of utmost importance. If there is emotion behind an action scene, it becomes more realistic. Sunny Sir embodies all these emotions. He is a great actor, but the film industry has not yet fully utilized him. He still possesses wields a lot of power and remains relevant today because of his experience. His honesty and innocence are his unique selling points,” said Sharma.

Echoing this sentiment, stunt coordinator Dan Bradley once described Sunny as the “Indian Sylvester Stallone”, emphasizing that “Sunny, like my favorite actor Harrison Ford, is more focused on the character’s emotional life.”

Perhaps it is his focus on the emotional arcs of his characters that has enabled Sunny to deliver some of the most iconic dialogues in Hindi cinema.

Even if Gen Z may not be familiar with his films, they probably recognize the man who powerfully scared off the bad guys in Damini (1993) with his, “Yeh dhai kilo ka haarah jab kisi pe padta hai na, toh aadmi uth-ta nahi, uthh jaata hai” dialogue.

They would know him as the one who uprooted a hand pump in Pakistan to confront Ashraf Ali (Amrish Puri): “Agar aapka Pakistan zindabad hai, toh isme humein koi aitraaz nahi, lekin hamara Hindustan zindabad tha, zindabad hai, aur zindabad rahega.”

And if nothing else, they would definitely recognize him from their WhatsApp stickers and memes, where his dialogues fit seamlessly into everyday situations.

Son of iconic Bollywood star Dharmendra, the original He-Man of the film industry, Sunny Deol has proven to be a real standout.

Throughout his career, he has resisted the urge to conform to fleeting trends. “I don’t believe in doing something just because it’s fashionable. I believe in creating something that resonates with me,” Sunny once told the Sunday Guardian.

This approach has paid off as he has contributed an impressive Rs 525.45 crore to the Hindi film industry’s total revenue in 2023 with his return as Tara Singh in the blockbuster Gadar 2. Moreover, the modest success of his film Ghayal Once Again from 2016 shows how he has adapted to modern cinema while staying true to his unique style. Popular film critic Anupama Chopra commented about his performance in the film, “He gives us a superhero without layers or slickness.”

Varun Dhawan, who will soon be working with Sunny in the patriotic drama Border 2, epitomized the respect that Sunny commands in the industry. Praising him as Bollywood’s best action hero, he said, “Sunny Deol is fantastic (in action). He jumps from 50 feet high and nothing happens to him… He is the man. Sunny Deol does real ‘dishoom’ ( beating people up).You can actually feel it as if it is real action,” Varun told PTI.

The dynamics of filmmaking have changed dramatically since even the prison bars trembled with the heat of Sunny’s thunder. “Utaar ke phenk do you vardi aur pahen lo Balwant Rai ka patta apne gale mein” (a dialogue by Ghayal). But Sunny Deol continues to embody the machismo that resonates with many because of his raw charm and unapologetic approach to characters like that of a truck driver in Gadar, a boxer in Ghayal and a killing machine in Ghatak.

In an industry that often emphasizes physical transformation and flashy dance moves, the Gadar 2 star has never believed that building a perfect body or mastering choreography guarantees success.

In an interview with Aaj Tak, Sunny Deol candidly said: “Mujhe toh badi sharam aati hai jab shave karlete hai apne baal, ladki ban gaya (I feel very shy when they shave their hair; they look like girls). He further admitted, “I don’t understand all these things,” and dismissed the trend of chasing six-pack abs.

Sunny’s traditional, everyday physique resonates with audiences who appreciate his authenticity and acting ability. Despite the prevalence of polished performances, he continues to win hearts through his heartfelt performances and powerful dialogues.

Dance may not be his strong point, but that doesn’t stop audiences from enjoying his iconic moves. On Aap Ki Adalat, he shared his views on dancing: “Mujhe jo jaisa aata tha vo vaisa kiya aur logon ne enjoy bhi kiya because 90 percent of people are not dancers and they identify with us (I did what I could, and people enjoyed it because 90 percent of people are not dancers and they can relate to us).”

Audiences may not see him swooning over his physique like his contemporaries Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan, Pathaan) and Salman Khan (almost every film), but Sunny Deol could continue to evolve while staying true to his roots with his string of upcoming films. including Rajkumar Santoshi’s period drama Lahore (1947) and Border 2, a sequel to JP Dutta’s 1997 film Border.

As he continues to resonate with audiences, one thing is clear: Sunny Deol’s unwavering commitment to authenticity makes him a vibrant force in the present and future of Indian cinema, just like his past.