Sunny Deol

He was elected from the Gurdaspur constituency of Punjab. One of the highest grossing actors of Indian cinema, he has worked in more than 90 Hindi films in a career spanning over four decades and is particularly known for his angry action hero persona. Deol has won several awards including two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards.

Sunny Deol
Deol in 2024
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 June 2019
Preceded by	Sunil Kumar Jakhar
Constituency	Gurdaspur, Punjab
Personal details
Residence(s)	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Born	Ajay Singh Deol (1956-10-19) 19 October 1956 (age 67) Sahnewal, East Punjab, India
Occupations	Actor film director producer politician
Years active	1983–present
Works	Full list
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	Lynda Deol (a.k.a. Pooja Deol) ​ ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	2
Parent	Dharmendra (father)
Relatives	See Deol family
Awards	Full list

The elder son of actor Dharmendra, Deol made his acting debut opposite newcomer Amrita Singh in the romantic drama Betaab (1983), a major commercial success. He had further box-office hits in action films such as Arjun (1985), Paap Ki Duniya (1988) and Tridev (1989), and gained wider recognition for his portrayal of a boxer accused of murder in Rajkumar Santoshi's Ghayal (1990), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and the National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature Film). His portrayal of a volatile lawyer in Santoshi's crime drama Damini (1993) won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred in Darr (1993), Jeet (1996), Ghatak (1996), and Ziddi (1997).

Deol had his biggest commercial successes in the period action films Border (1997) and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). The latter was the highest-grossing Hindi film to that point. He subsequently starred with his father and younger brother, Bobby Deol, in the drama Apne (2007) and the comedy Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011). After more than a decade of decline, he made a career comeback by reprising his role in Gadar 2 (2023), which became the highest-grossing film of his career and the sixth highest-grossing Hindi film of all-time.

Deol was born as Ajay Singh Deol on 19 October 1956, in the village of Sahnewal in East Punjab, India in a Punjabi Jat family, to Bollywood actor Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur.

He has a younger brother Bobby Deol and two sisters Vijayta and Ajeeta who are settled in California, USA. Hema Malini is his step-mother. Actress Esha Deol and Ahana Deol are his paternal younger half-sisters. His cousin Abhay Deol is also an actor.

1983-1984: Debut and romantic roles

Deol made his debut with the 1983 romantic film Betaab which earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Produced by father Dharmendra and directed by Rahul Rawail, the film follows the story of two young lovers, played by Deol and Amrita Singh, navigating obstacles to their love amidst family conflicts and class divide. The plot of the film was loosely based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew. The film emerged as a commercial success and went on to be one of the biggest hits of the year, emerging as the second highest-grossing Indian film of 1983. Betaab turned Deol and co-star Singh into overnight sensations. The music by R. D. Burman, also played a significant role as the song ‘Jab Hum Jawan Honge' was a chartbuster. Hajan Valley located in Kashmir, a major location in the film came to be known as Betaab Valley, which has since become a popular tourist destination in the region.

The following year, Deol starred in Sunny, Manzil Manzil, and Sohni Mahiwal, with only the latter becoming successful at the box office. Sohni Mahiwal (1984), an Indian-Russian film portrays the classic Punjabi folklore tragic love story of Sohni, portrayed by Poonam Dhillon, a potter's daughter, and Mahiwal (Deol), a wealthy merchant, amidst societal constraints. The film remains celebrated for its soundtrack and has attained cult classic status in Russia.

1985-2003: Action star

Deol then appeared in Rahul Rawail's Arjun (1985), in which he played the titular role of an unemployed radical youngster, who alongside his group of friends, fights against the system that thrives on corruption and exploitation of the weak. The film opened to much critical praise and went on to become a major hit and established Sunny Deol's status as an action hero. Arjun is considered one of Deol's best works to date.

In 1986, he appeared alongside his father in Sultanat. In the final years of the decade he appeared in subsequent action hits including Dacait (1987), Paap Ki Duniya (1988), Vardi (1988), Yateem (1988) and Tridev (1989). His role as a police officer in Tridev was praised. Tridev received numerous accolades and was the third highest-grossing film of 1989. He also played a role in the slapstick comedy ChaalBaaz (1989), starring Sridevi in dual role, along with Deol and Rajinikanth. It was well received by critics and emerged as a commercial success, eventually becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 1989.

Deol appeared in the lead role of a boxer in Ghayal (1990), directed by debutant Rajkumar Santoshi, which became the year's second highest-grossing film worldwide and the highest-grossing film domestically. The film grossed ₹20 crore and was declared a blockbuster by Box Office India. The film won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and the National Film Award – Special Jury Award (Feature Film). The success of the film established Deol as a bonafide box office draw and the film recorded a large repeat audience.

Due to the overwhelming success of Ghayal, Deol enjoyed a very successful period throughout the 90s. From 1991 to 2001, he delivered back-to-back successes. Starting with Yodha in 1991 in which he co-starred alongside Sanjay Dutt. It received mostly average reviews and earned ₹12.95 crore against a budget of ₹2.85 crore. The same year, Narsimha was another success and emerged as the 8th highest grossing Indian film of 1991.

In 1992, he appeared in his only release Vishwatma. The film received critical acclaim upon release from contemporary as well as modern critics, with praise drawn towards its screenplay and action sequences. It earned over ₹9.5 crore in its total theatrical run worldwide and was the sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 1992. It proved to be a major launchpad for Chunky Pandey as well as for debutanté Divya Bharti.

In 1993, Deol reunited with Rajkumar Santoshi to play an alcoholic lawyer in the highly successful crime drama Damini and was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. The pathbreaking film was praised for breaking social taboos and handling the subject of rape with sensitivity; a rarity in Bollywood at the time. It further strengthened Deol's He-Man image. His dialogues in the film "Tarikh Pe Tarikh" (date after date) and "Dhai Kilo Ka Haath" (Two-and-a-half kilogram hand) became iconic and a pop-culture reference. The film was a milestone in the careers of Deol as well as Amrish Puri who went onto star in various films together in the future. Besides being critically acclaimed, the film also became the sixth highest grossing film of the year and was declared a "hit" by Box Office India. That same year, Deol portrayed the character of a lieutenant army officer in Yash Chopra's musical psychological thriller Darr. The film earned Deol his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. It was declared a blockbuster and was the third-highest grossing film of the year in India, and the highest-grossing Indian film of the year in the overseas markets. It received widespread acclaim from critics upon release. It was also noted for being Shah Rukh Khan's breakthrough film.

In 1994's Insaniyat, he appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan which turned out to be the 10th highest grossing film of the year. In 1995, Angrakshak was an above-average grosser at the box office.

At the time, 1996 marked Deol's most successful year in terms of commercial success. The audiences saw four releases that year including Himmat, Jeet, Ghatak, and Ajay. Starring Alongside Salman Khan and Karisma Kapoor, Jeet earned a worldwide collection of ₹30.5 crore. It became the 4th highest grossing Bollywood film of 1996. Ghatak, released the same year, received critical and commercial acclaim, and was declared a blockbuster by Box Office India. It marked Santoshi's third collaboration with Deol, Seshadri, and Puri after Ghayal (1990) and Damini (1993). The film earned Deol his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Deol's dialogues in Ghatak such as "Ye Mazdoor Ka Haath Hai Kaatiya" and "Utha Utha Ke Patkunga" became extremely popular among the audiences and influenced the pop culture of the time period.

 

Deol kicked off 1997 with Ziddi which had a net collection of Rs 292.5 million and was one of the highest grossing films of 1997. The film flourished particularly in North India. He followed it up with Border, an epic war film based on the real life events that happened during the Battle of Longewala in 1971, in which Deol played the leading role of decorated Indian Army officer Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri. The film featured a ensemble cast of Deol, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Tabu, Raakhee, Pooja Bhatt, including others. It opened to strong box office results and was declared an all time blockbuster by Box Office India. It also became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1997 domestically, and the second highest-grossing Indian film of the year worldwide. Border grossed a worldwide total of ₹65.57 crore and it was the fourth biggest blockbuster film of the 90s decade. The film earned Deol his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

In 1998, Deol collaborated with Guddu Dhanoa once again after Ziddi (1997), to star in the action film Salaakhen. Featuring an identical cast to Ziddi, Raveena Tandon, Anupam Kher and Farida Jalal played supporting roles. The film was noted for its action sequences, cast performances and a notable monologue delivered by Deol during a courtroom hearing. Released on 24 April 1998, it recorded an excellent opening and was another hit for the actor.

His 1999 film Arjun Pandit marked his first collaboration with director Rahul Rawail after Yodha. Due to the critical and commercial success of their previous collaborations Arjun (1985) and Yodha (1991), the film was one of the most awaited films of the year. Although it was not well reviewed upon release, the film became a hit. UP gangster Vikas Dubey was reported to be an ardent fan of this movie and rumoured to have watched it over 100 times. Inspired by his love for this movie, he had earned the monicker Pandit. In 1999 he made his directorial debut with Dillagi starring himself, his brother and Urmila Matondkar, but the film failed to gain success.

His first blockbuster hit in the millennium was 2001 film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, directed by Anil Sharma, in which Deol played the role of a patriotic Indian truck driver, Tara Singh who falls in love with a Muslim girl, Sakeena, in the backdrop of 1947 partition violence, and makes a dramatic trip to Pakistan to get back his beloved. Gadar became the highest-grossing Hindi film up until then in mainstream cinema earning over ₹1.3 billion (US$16 million) worldwide. It ranks among the top 3 Indian films in all-time highest footfalls since 1990s. The infamous "Handpump scene" became a major cultural symbol and influenced the contemporary parody culture in India in the following years. Deol received high praise for his performance, as Taran Adarsh of IndiaFM wrote: "To state that Gadar belongs to Deol would be an understatement. It's difficult to imagine any other actor essaying this role with precision. The actor takes to the character like a fish takes to water and emerges triumphant." Deol was paid ₹6 crore (US$750,000) for his role in Gadar, the highest for any Indian actor at that time. The film earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In the same year, Deol also worked in another successful action thriller film Indian (2001). It received a record breaking opening, grossing a domestic nett of ₹18.0 million on its opening day. It was the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year in India with collection of ₹42.60 crore. Critics felt that Deol's role of DCP Rajshekhar Azad was "tailor-made" for him.

In 2002, Deol starred in the war film Maa Tujhhe Salaam which opened strongly and despite being amongst the highest grossing films of the year, only emerged as a box office disappointment due to poor reviews. He played the role of Indian revolutionary Chandra Shekhar Azad in 23rd March 1931: Shaheed, starring his brother Bobby Deol in the role of Bhagat Singh. The film's release coincided with another film based on Bhagat Singh, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and titled The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Both films failed at the box office.

Then, in 2003, Deol teamed up with director Anil Sharma yet again for The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, which also starred Preity Zinta and the debutant Priyanka Chopra. Released on 11 April, The Hero was billed as Bollywood's most expensive film at that time with an estimated budget of ₹600 million (US$7.5 million). The film became the third highest-grossing Bollywood film of that year. Derek Elley from Variety wrote about the film and called it "a wildly over-the-top, stridently nationalistic but undeniably entertaining slice of hokum."

2004-2022: Downturn

 

During this phase of his career, Deol ventured into a range of films that deviated from his usual style and the prevailing trends of the Bollywood industry, unfortunately achieving lackluster success.

In 2004, Deol starred in Lakeer, which featured an ensemble cast including Sunil Shetty, and newcomers Sohail Khan and John Abraham. The film was a flop. In the same year, he starred in the sports comedy film Rok Sako To Rok Lo, another flop.

Jo Bole So Nihaal released in 2005 was Deol's solo release for the year. Despite the buzz, the film didn't fare well at the box office. However, Deol's unique portrayal sparked a noteworthy trend in the industry, inspiring the creation of comedic movies centered around Sikh protagonists exuding a carefree and jovial persona. This trend saw subsequent releases like Singh is Kinng (2008), Son of Sardaar (2012), and Singh is Bliing (2015) in the years that followed.

In early 2006, Deol starred in the techno-thriller Teesri Aankh. It marked the second time he co-starred alongside Ameesha Patel, after the all time blockbuster Gadar. The film is also inspired by the 1994 movie Mute Witness. It was panned by critics and turned out to be a disaster. In September 2006, Deol took on a role in the action-adventure film Naksha, an endeavour by Bollywood to capture the essence of films seen in the Indiana Jones and The Mummy series. Despite being hailed as ahead of its time by certain critics, the movie unfortunately met with box office failure.

Deol kicked off 2007 with another atypical film for the time, Big Brother, a vigilante film. This was supposed to be Priyanka Chopra's first release in 2002 but was delayed by almost 5 years. Continuing his year, he appeared in the comedic caper Fool N Final, sharing the spotlight with emerging talents Shahid Kapoor and Ayesha Takia. This film was also a box office disappointment. Deol appeared alongside his father Dharmendra and brother Bobby Deol together for the first time in Apne (2007), a sports-drama film. The film garnered significant hype and achieved considerable success.

In 2008, he appeared with his brother again in the ensemble film Heroes. Deol's performance, although brief, was praised. 2009 saw Deol star in the thriller Fox (2009) opposite Arjun Rampal. It marked Deol's first film appearing as an antagonist. The film was inspired from Hollywood film A Murder of Crows (1999). The film failed miserably at the box office.

Deol's first release of 2010 was Neeraj Pathak's crime thriller Right Yaaa Wrong which had him playing a police inspector.Yamla Pagla Deewana which also featured him alongside his father and brother was Deol's only release in 2011 and was declared a hit.

For the first time in his career, Deol lent his voice in the Animated film Mahabharata for the role of Bheem. It earned ₹16.9 million. Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, a sequel to his 2011 hit was released in 2013 but the film was a critical and box office failure. In the end of 2013 Deol teamed up with Anil Sharma yet again for Singh Saab The Great which was loved massively and created a big pandemonium in the cinema hall as well as on Facebook. The film turned out be success.

 

In 2015, he worked in Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru's I Love NY opposite Kangana Ranaut. Due to an unknown reason, the film was delayed from its original release date of 2011 and released several years later. The film failed at the box office.

In 2016, Ghayal Once Again was released which was a sequel to his 1990 film Ghayal. It marked Deol's second film directorial since Dillagi (1999). It was one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The action sequences were praised but the story and pacing were criticised. The film earned well but ultimately failed.

In 2017, he and his brother appeared in Shreyas Talpade's comedy film Poster Boys, which flopped at the box office.

In 2018, Deol appeared in Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se, the third film in the franchise. Also that year, two of his long delayed films Bhaiyyaji Superhitt (where he plays a double role for the first time), and Mohalla Assi were released. All of them were box office failures.

Meanwhile, in 2019, Deol took the mantle of a director again, his third film as a director, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, which marked the debut of his son Karan Deol, with another newcomer Sahher Bambba in lead roles.

In 2022, Deol starred in the crime thriller Chup: Revenge of the Artist directed by R. Balki. Alongside Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Pooja Bhatt. The plot of the film centered around a serial killer who targets dishonest film critics. Released on 23 September 2022, where it received positive reviews from critics. Deol won the Lions Gold Awards for Male Action Star Of The Year 2022.^{[failed verification]}

2023-present: Resurgence

 

The sequel of the 2001 film Gadar, Gadar 2, was released on 11 August 2023. The film's story is centered around the era of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, in which Deol as Tara Singh returns to Pakistan to bring back his son. It is directed and produced by Anil Sharma, and the film stars Deol along with Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma in lead roles. Gadar 2 emerged as the highest-grossing film in Deol's career. The film earned ₹691 crore worldwide, and became the year's 4th highest-grosser, as well as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Deol's performance in Gadar 2 earned him several award nominations, including his seventh nomination for a Filmfare Award in the Best Actor category. Deol won the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor (Viewer's Choice) for Gadar 2, while he was also named the GQ India Leading Man of the Year 2023.

Upcoming projects

Deol will next be seen in Soorya. He has also committed to star in Baap. Deol is reuniting with Rajkumar Santoshi to headline Lahore 1947 which will be produced by Aamir Khan. He will play the role of Hanuman in Nitesh Tiwari directorial Ramayana (2025), based on the Indian epic.

Deol joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 23 April 2019. He won the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections from Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab against Sunil Jakhar of Indian national Congress with a margin of 82,459 votes. As of 11 December 2023 he has an attendance of 18% in the Parliament. The national average for the same is 79%.

Sunny Deol is married to Lynda Deol (a.k.a. Pooja Deol). Lynda comes from an Anglo-Indian family. Her father, Krishan Dev Singh Mahal, is an Indian while her mother, June Sarah Mahal, is British descending from the British Royal family. The couple has two sons, Karan and Rajveer.

Karan was an assistant director on Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 and has rapped in a song sung by Diljit Dosanjh in the film. He made his Bollywood debut in 2019 with the Hindi-language feature film Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. He then starred in the 2021 crime comedy film Velle, a remake of the Telugu film film Brochevarevarura.

In June 2023, Karan married Drisha Acharya in the presence of the Deol family, including Sunny Deol, Dharmendra and Bobby Deol. Rajveer made his Bollywood debut in 2023 with the Hindi-language feature film Dono.

Legal issues

In August 2023, Bank of Baroda, a public sector bank in India, issued a notice to auction Sunny Deol's property in Mumbai's Juhu locality, known as Sunny Villa, for failing to repay a loan amounting to nearly ₹56 crore. The bank stated that the property was being auctioned under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2022, and the reserve price was set at about ₹51.43 crore. However, shortly after the notice was issued, the bank withdrew it for "technical reasons".

Reception

Deol is frequently recognised as a superstar of Indian cinema. He established himself as an action hero, with his roles in Arjun (1985), Ghayal (1990), Ghatak (1996), Border (1997), and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). Deol's portrayals personified masculinity and radicalism in India. At the peak of his career, Deol was known for his muscular physique. Deol was one of the prominent actors of Hindi cinema in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, appearing in Box Office India's list of top actors nine times from 1989 to 2002. Deol topped the list twice, in 1997 and 2001. Deol was one of the highest paid actors of Hindi cinema during the 1990s. Since 1990, Deol has the third most bumper openings at the box office with a total of 10, behind only Shah Rukh Khan (18) and Salman Khan (14). He has also given three record openers since 1990 including Kshatriya (1993), Border (1997), and Indian (2001). Deol is the first and only Indian actor to deliver an all-time blockbuster as a lead hero after turning 60, he was 66 when he accomplished this landmark with his 2023 release Gadar 2. He has been compared to Sylvester Stallone that earned him the moniker of "Indian Rambo".

In 2016, Geeta Phogat, the Indian wrestler and Olympic gold medalist, expressed her admiration for Deol, citing him as her favourite actor and how she drew inspiration from his "angry man" portrayals. Also in 2016, actors Varun Dhawan and John Abraham referred to Deol as "the greatest action hero of Bollywood". Deol's dialogues, including "Balwant Rai Ke Kutto", "Dhai Kilo ka Haath", and "Tarikh Pe Tarikh", are considered iconic. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated India's spirit by tweeting one of Deol's dialogues: "Hindustan Zindabad Tha, Hai, Aur Rahega". In 2022, he was placed in Outlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list. In 2023, Deol was referenced in the lyrics of Haryanvi singer Raju Punjabi's viral song "Choudhar Jaat Ki." The specific lines from the song were, "Hawa banai thadi re meri Sunny Deol si body re (I make you look good with my Sunny Deol-like body)".

Artistry

Many of Deol's films share unique elements which have become characteristic of his body of work. Primarily, his films often center around protagonists hailing from modest backgrounds, who find themselves entangled in conflicts with crime syndicates and systemic corruption. Despite seeking help from legal channels, the characters invariably encounter hurdles within the justice system, compelling them to take matters into their own hands and resort to vigilantism as a means of seeking retribution against the antagonists. This narrative framework serves as a vehicle for exploring broader societal issues, including the shortcomings of law enforcement, discrimination, exploitation of the marginalised, and pervasive corruption, which are portrayed through the protagonists' struggles and impassioned dialogues delivered by Deol.

In contrast to the stereotype of the silent action hero, Deol's characters are men of action and articulate numerous words. Initially conflict-avoidant, they pivot to unfiltered anger when met with opposition, progressing to threats of violence charged with indignation, and ultimately resorting to physical force. Notably, Deol's characters seldom instigate violence independently and only respond when provoked.

Deol's filmography is also marked by instances of graphic violence, such as the arm-tearing scene in Ziddi (1997). Moreover, he frequently assumes roles of leadership, either of military units, as in Border (1997) and Maa Tujhhe Salaam (2002), or radical vigilante groups evident in films like Arjun (1985), Ghayal (1990), Ziddi (1997) and Big Brother (2007).

In his portrayal of everyday interactions, Deol's characters embody the ideal citizen advocating for truth, honesty, integrity, and patriotism, while exhibiting profound respect for familial and individual values. Physically, Deol embodies a rugged and muscular physique, distinguished by its lack of hyper-vascular aesthetics and the presence of natural body hair.

Even in romantic relationships, Deol is depicted as a caring and respectful partner characterised by consideration for his partner's feelings and autonomy. They avoid overly dramatic displays of love and do not chase their love interest upon rejection, a departure from conventional Bollywood portrayals of romance.

Deol starred in the Yash Chopra-directed Darr (1993), where he played the protagonist opposite Shah Rukh Khan as the antagonist. Darr was one of the most anticipated films of 1993 due to it being the first collaboration between Deol and Chopra, and recorded a bumper opening at the box office largely credited to Deol's role. Despite the film's commercial success, Deol felt betrayed and cheated by the director, who he accused of glorifying the villain and sidelining the hero. He claimed that the final version differed significantly from what was initially conveyed to him, with edited scenes that he was not informed about. He had a heated argument with Chopra over the climax of the film, during which he ripped his pants in anger. He also vowed to never work with Chopra again. Subsequently, he did not speak to Khan for 16 years, but he admitted that it was not deliberate. Since then, Deol and Khan have reconciled.

Deol faced a boycott by the farmers of Punjab, who were protesting against the farm laws passed by the central government in 2020. Deol, as a BJP MP from Gurdaspur constituency of Punjab, was seen as a supporter of the government and a betrayer of the farmers. He was also accused of being silent and inactive on the issue, and of not raising the voice of his constituents in the parliament. He later backed the new farm laws which led to the farmers also burning his effigies and posters, and refusing to watch his films.

Deol sparked a controversy with his statement on India-Pakistan at the trailer launch of his 2023 film Gadar 2, where he blamed the “political game” for the hatred between the two countries, and said that people on both sides want peace and love. However, he was criticised for his diplomatic stand and accused of contradicting the anti-Pakistan content of his film. He was also trolled for peddling “Aman ki Asha” (peace initiative) while his film was about “Gadar” (revolt).