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Deol's due

V S Srinivasan

Sunny Deol. Click for bigger pic!

Those bloodshot eyes, that raised eyebrow, that aggressive sneer... Sunny Deol, born Ajay Singh Deol, really has made a career of it, hasn't he? But it surely takes more than that to last 16 years in the industry. Maybe it calls for... Dare we say it -- talent?

But when he came in he was another star whelp out seeking a job, hanging on papa's every word. Nothing much was expected of him. For hadn't he precedent in the likes of Kunal Goswami and Kumar Gaurav? There was the big dad's reputation's to live up to and his difficulty in dubbing to contend with. Those who remember, it will have noted that the man who works with muscle and menace, made his debut as a hero in a tale of puppy love, Betaab. Amrita Singh was the heroine. And the film, released in August 1983, was a big hit.

And now? He's directing his own film, London, taking over from where Gurinder Chadha, of Bhaji on the Beach fame, and his own godfather Rahul Rawail left off.

"If you want to talk about London, let me tell you Sunny'll only do that when it's ready for release. You can talk to him about anything else. But please don't ask him about London," his PRO tells us. With all the trouble it's having, must be like a red rag, we decide.

Finally, we run into him at the Royal Palms Golf Club, Goregaon. We note that Sunny can even carry off a lemon yellow shirt and black trousers comfortably. He smiles and begins chatting with you as if he has known you for years. Actually, this is just your second meeting with him, that after six years.

"I have now completed 16 years in cinema. I'm very happy with myself. I've played roles that have given me satisfaction. I've also won the national award. Now I am looking forth to London. I'm acting in a few other films. I'm doing a lot of things." Well, any questions?

He did omit to mention one post-production studio at Juhu and another at Khandala. Oh yes, Sunny is a very busy man. And unlike his dad, he has few vices. He doesn't even drink.

Click for bigger pic!

The national award must have certainly made him feel good.

"Yeah. It has. Awards mean recognition. And if it is a national award, it has a lot of significance. But then it puts a lot of pressure on you too. You have to work harder on your performances."

Hasn't he been pigeonholed as a "very intense actor"?

"Yeah, I like doing roles like that. But then I've also done a lot of comedy. People appreciate me clowning around sometimes. It's always a relief to see a guy generally known for his action and intense performances to do a bit of comedy. The audience loves it." But, like his father, the North Indians prefer the Jat in action roles.

"It's not just because I am Dharmendra's son," Sunny protests. "I've managed to carve a niche for myself, I suppose. But then my father is always there on people's minds, because he is one of the greats of Indian cinema."

But there is no denying, is there, that his recent movies haven't done so well?

"Who says so? Border was one of the biggest hits of all time. I know that Ziddi did not do as well as expected, but then it was there among the top films of the year. So I have no complaints. Some films do well, some don't. You cannot expect every film to be a Border or a Ghayal." He then tells you that he loves his work.

"I consider every film separately and put in separate effort for each of them. That's why I am content with my work. Of course, I do feel I could have done better," he says.

Back to the beginning, to Betaab. The Bollywood version of the Taming Of The Shrew, Sunny's then fresh looks and meaningful glances jelled with the audience's idea of a hero, despite the fact that he was married.

Click for bigger pic!

"I'd trained a lot for this film in acting classes in London. Amrita was training with Asha Chandra. I helped her out with her acting. Now Asha even calls me her student. Anyway, it doesn't matter if she gets some publicity. The film did well and both Amrita and I came into the limelight."

But the Sunny that followed, again with Amrita Singh, with Dharmendra playing his father, and sporting some catchy numbers failed where it mattered. In its wake collapsed Savere Wali Gaadi while Sohni Mahiwal staggered its way to a decent collection. By then, this star son was already being written off as another flash in the celluloid pan.

That's when mentor Rahul Rawail came to his aid with Arjun in 1985. Exploring the frustrations of unemployed youth who become pawns in the hands of politicians, it was the turning point in Sunny's career. Finally, here was an angry young man to replace Bachchan, the ageing one.

"Yeah, people compared me with Amitabh in those days," he smiles wryly. "But it's just a perception. I'm happy being Sunny Deol." And Sunny, realising this could be a gold mine, stopped trying to be a dancer and through Dacait (1987) and Yateem (1989), Sunny graduated into the brave and brawny action hero category.

"I was concentrating on having a good body. You have to look strong to make people believe you are strong... Film-makers too also wanted to cash in on my image, so I showed more of my body in films," he says.

From J P Dutta's Yateem to Sunny's next release, Ghayal, was a small step. Ghayal, Rajkumar Santoshi's debut film as a director, became one of the most critically-acclaimed successes of the '90s.

Sunny also acted in a number of multi-starrers, among them Paap Ki Duniya, Ram Avtar, Tridev and Kshatriya. Among the films that made a mark were Narsimha (1991), Lootere (1993) and Damini (1993).

With Raveena Tandon. Click for bigger pic!

Narsimha made more news for his dalliance with Dimple Kapadia than for his tremendous performance. But he finally won an award for his role in Damini despite making an entry only after the interval. Thereafter, he simply took over the film.

In Darr, with Juhi Chawla, he went the other way, staying in the shadows, packing his fists away till the end.

"I took on the role in Darr despite people telling me that Shah Rukh would take away the credit. But then, I had firm belief in Yashji.

"One makes a few mistakes in his career. I made some, but I don't have any complaints today. There's no point raking up the past. People noticed me in Darr. That is enough for me," he says.

In Jeet (1996), he decided he'd have a go at dancing. The Yaara o yaara number was a hit, his dance wasn't. Fortunately, he's never tried it again.

"I've not concentrated much on dancing. I just do it just for fun and for the sake of the songs that are in the film. Songs are just a way of taking the story ahead. Moreover, songs are a craze these days. So I tried a wee bit of dancing. I ended up laughing at myself," laughs Sunny.

But back in his role as a one-man demolition squad he had no problems. Which is what made Jeet a hit.

"I look perfectly at home knocking down a few teeth of the villains, but there are certain things that I can't do. Like dancing with heroines. But it is all part of the game..."

These tailor-made roles may be comfortable now, but Sunny has some serious thinking to do now -- he will be 42 in October. And with London coming up for release by the year-end and a few projects like Champion in his kitty, Sunny has spread himself rather thinly.

"But I am being very selective in my choice of films," he says. "And that's more important for me...."