FILM INTERVIEW: SUNNY DEOL

 

“Whenever a film did well, we got a sequel to it. This trend is fast emerging in Bollywood. Therefore, if Yamla Pagla Deewana does well, we will also bring its sequel,” he told the media during a promotional campaign of the film in Punjab, where he says he feels at home. “We (father and two brothers) always like to come to Punjab, and this time we have come for the promotion of our film. We don’t need to do anything extraordinary to attract the attention of the people here. We know that people of this state will always welcome us.”

 

While the Deols do not feel as if they have to do anything special in promoting any of their respective films to their native Punjabis, the collective group of Sunny, Bobby, and Dharmendra apparently believe Yamla Pagla Deewana needed a little extra push. For Sunny, such an extra effort in promoting a film, particularly outside of Punjab, is the cost of doing business in today’s Bollywood.

 

“We have realized the importance of marketing and promotion of films. That is why, this time, all three of us are together promoting the film in various cities, as well as through television and other mediums,” Sunny told the press, adding that he feels extra special celebrating his father‘s golden anniversary in Bollywood in conjunction with the film. “So far, the response to the film’s promos is very encouraging, and it has seen countless hits on the Internet. Initially, papa was not very sure about the film, but gradually we convinced him. This film is more special, as it also marks papa’s 50 years in Bollywood.”

 

Sunny is definitely glad his father came aboard for Samir Karnik’s Yamla Pagla Deewana, which marks the second time Dharmendra is working with the Deol brothers. Four year’s earlier, Dharmendra appeared opposite his sons in Apne.

 

Unlike the emotionally tuned Apne, Sunny informed the media that Yamla Pagla Deewana is a laugh-out-loud comedy playing upon many hilarious father-son and brother-brother situations.

 

As for what Sunny has up his sleeve after Yamla Pagla Deewana, the 54-year-old actor gave a little insight as to what Bollywood fans can expect.

 

“Currently, I am working on two projects. One is a romantic comedy with Kangana Ranaut and Naveen Andrews, and in the other, I am playing a Sikh Sanskrit teacher,” Sunny told the media.

 

Speaking of teachers and future projects, Sunny also shared with the media insight about what he thinks about his 19-year-old son, Karan, entering the film industry. While some press outlets prematurely reported Sunny was not too happy about Karan being an actor, the eldest of Dharmendra’s acting boys said he is actually thrilled, mostly because Karan is being trained by Rawali--the same director who gave Sunny his first big break in the 1983 film, Betaab.

 

“Named after Marlon Brando’s first acting teacher, the world-renowned New York acting school has trained Anthony Quinn, Warren Beatty, and Candice Bergen. But Karan is still pretty young; he needs a couple of years of strong grounding. After that, we’ll see,” Sunny observed to the press.

 

In the meantime, Sunny is rooting for Yamla Pagla Deewana, which opens on January 14, to gain quite some strong grounding itself in order to challenge No One Killed Jessica for the box office throne while also building a stronger case for a sequel.