Following the massive success of ‘Gadar 2’, which reignited his popularity among fans, Hindi cinema star Sunny Deol is ready to embark on a new phase in his 42-year career with a few upcoming projects in the streaming space. Deol, the action star of the 1990s films ‘Ghatak’, ‘Arjun’ and ‘Damini’, returned to the movies with a bang in 2023 with the sequel to his 2001 blockbuster ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’.
The 67-year-old actor, who is awaiting the release of his film ‘Jaat’, said his OTT debut would allow people to watch his work on more than one medium.
“I’m doing a couple of projects for OTT and they are not meant for the silver screen because the audience of that is niche. So, it’s best to go there (OTT). People keep watching your films on different platforms. It’s an interesting thing (medium) for actors and directors because it offers all kinds of variety and you don’t have to restrict yourself to something,” Deol told PTI in an interview here.
The actor said he wants to explore ‘newer kinds of roles’. “I’m already doing something like that. I’m looking into it. But it all depends on if a writer and director offer you something different. If you try and look for it, then it becomes difficult,” he added.
Deol credited OTT platforms for making his films relevant to the new generation of cinema-goers. “Those who didn’t see our films in cinema halls became relevant on digital platforms and today’s generation got to see it. I thank God and everybody for loving us so much.”
Billed as a high-octane drama with larger-than-life action sequences, ‘Jaat’ is different from his previous movies, he said. The film, set to be released on April 10, is directed by south filmmaker Gopichand Malineni, known for ‘Don Seenu’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Balupu’ and ‘Veera Simha Reddy’.
“I enjoyed working on ‘Jaat’ because it was a refreshing thing to do. Whenever we do South films, they are mostly remakes. For me, it’s a new film. For the first time, I’m working with a South director and it has been a great experience. We all learn so much from each other,” he said.
For Deol, he always looks at the story before signing a film, not action sequences. “It’s the story and the characters that drive the character to do what he does and all of this makes the action look good. Most of the subjects that I’ve done or the characters I’ve portrayed are defending or fighting for something or are stuck in some situation wherein the hero stands up and fights. In real life, too, I believe you’ve got to fight it out to be where you want to be,” he said.