At 67, Sunny Deol still packs ‘Dhai Kilo Ka’ punch without reinventing himself

“Stop bodybuilding and dancing. Concentrate on acting. You have the talent—take it ahead 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 at 67, he still delivers a powerful ‘dhai kilo ka’ punch, remaining 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 of one rather than a jack of all trades.
Born Ajay Singh Deol on October 19, 1957, Sunny “always wanted to be an actor.” Contrary to his current on-screen persona, he made his Bollywood debut in the romantic drama Betaab opposite Amrita Singh in 1983. The film was a box-office success, and its songs ‘Jab Hum Jawan Honge,’ ‘Tumne Dee Awaaz,’ and ‘Baadal Yoon Garajta Hai’ were chartbusters.

Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh in Betaab. (Photo: IMDb)

Following it up with a couple of love stories (Manzil Manzil and Sohni Mahiwal), in 1985, Sunny, with his simmering eyes and festering rage, gave a perfect expression to the angst and frustration of unemployed youth in Rahul Rawail’s film Arjun. The actor starred in the titular role, launching his career to new heights and setting himself up to be one of the all-time greatest action heroes.
If Deol’s performance in Arjun hinted at his potential, 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’s in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ghayal (1990) that he truly erupted, captivating audiences and solidifying his status as a force to be reckoned with.
As director Anil Sharma, who delivered his career’s biggest hits with Sunny (Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Apne), put it during an interview with India Today Digital, Sunny succeeded at action as he coupled anger with emotions.

Sunny Deol became a rage as Tara Singh.

“For action, emotion holds utmost importance. If there is emotion behind an action sequence, it becomes more realistic. Sunny sir embodies all these emotions. He is a great actor, yet the film industry hasn’t fully utilised him. He still possesses 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,” emphasising that “like my favourite actor Harrison Ford, Sunny is more focused on the emotional life of the character.”
Perhaps it’s his focus on the emotional arcs of his characters that has allowed Sunny to deliver some of the most iconic dialogues in Hindi cinema.
Even if Gen Z may not be familiar with his films, they likely recognise the man who powerfully scared off the baddies in Damini (1993) with his, “Yeh dhai kilo ka haath jab kisi pe padta hai na, toh aadmi uth-ta nahi, uthh jaata hai” dialogue.
They would know him as the one who stood in Pakistan, uprooting a hand pump to confront Ashraf Ali (Amrish Puri) with, “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 recognise him from their WhatsApp stickers and memes, where his dialogues seamlessly fit into everyday situations.

As the son of iconic Bollywood star Dharmendra, the original He-Man of the film industry, Sunny Deol has proven himself to be a true chip off the old block.
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 shared with Sunday Guardian.
This approach has paid off, as he contributed an impressive Rs 525.45 crore to the Hindi film industry’s total earnings in 2023 with his return as Tara Singh in the blockbuster hit Gadar 2. Additionally, the moderate success of his 2016 film Ghayal Once Again showcased how he has adapted to modern cinema while remaining true to his unique style. Popular film critic Anupama Chopra noted about his performance in the film: “He gives us a superhero without layers or slickness.”
Varun Dhawan, who will soon be working alongside Sunny in the patriotic drama Border 2, encapsulated the respect Sunny commands in the industry. He praised him as the best action hero of Bollywood, stating, “Sunny Deol is fantastic (in action). He jumps from 50 feet high and nothing happens to him.., He is the guy. Sunny Deol does actual ‘dishoom’ (beating up people). You can actually feel it as it’s real action,” Varun told PTI.

A poster of Sunny Deol’s Ghatak.

Filmmaking dynamics have changed dramatically since even the prison bars trembled with the heat of Sunny’s thundering, “Utaar ke phenk do ye vardi aur pahen lo Balwant Rai ka patta apne gale mein” (a dialogue from Ghayal). But Sunny Deol continues to embody the machismo that resonates with many due to 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 stresses on physical transformation and flashy dance moves, the Gadar 2 star has never believed that building a perfect physique or mastering choreography guarantees success.
In an interview with Aaj Tak, Sunny Deol candidly expressed, “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,” dismissing the trend of chasing six-pack abs.
Sunny’s traditional, everyman physique resonates with audiences who appreciate his authenticity and acting prowess. Despite the prevalence of polished performances, he continues to win hearts through his genuine portrayals and powerful dialogue delivery.
Dance may not be his forte, but that hasn’t stopped audiences from enjoying his iconic moves. On Aap Ki Adalat, he shared his perspective on dancing: “Mujhe jo jaisa aata tha vo vaisa kiya aur logon ne enjoy bhi kiya because 90 per cent of the people are not dancers and they identify with us (I did what I knew how to do, and people enjoyed it because 90 per cent of the people are not dancers, and they can relate to us).”
The audience might not see him swooning over his physique like his contemporaries Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan, Pathaan) and Salman Khan (practically every film), but Sunny Deol might continue to evolve while remaining true to his roots with his lineup of upcoming films, which includes Rajkumar Santoshi’s period drama Lahore 1947 and Border 2, a sequel to J.P. 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, much like his past.