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Sunny Deol gears up for his South cinema debut with Jaat, directed by Gopichand Malineni. At the trailer launch, Sunny praised South filmmakers and hinted, “Kya pata wahin ja ke bas jau main.”
Sunny Deol lauds South Indian cinema at the Jaat trailer launch, saying “I might go and settle there” and urges Bollywood producers to learn from South filmmakers’ focus on strong storytelling.
Sunny Deol is all set to make waves in South Indian cinema with his upcoming action-packed film Jaat, directed by Telugu filmmaker Gopichand Malineni of Krack fame. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the powerhouse behind the Pushpa franchise, Jaat marks a significant move for the veteran actor following the massive success of Gadar 2.
At the trailer launch event in Mumbai, Sunny delivered a punchy line that grabbed headlines, “Ye dhai kilo ke haath ki taakat poora North dekh chuka hai. Ab South dekhega.” He didn’t stop there—Sunny took the opportunity to highlight how Bollywood could learn from the South film industry.
“I wish Bollywood producers learn something from South producers. Make it Hindi cinema first, and then learn how to make cinema. The script is the hero there. I had so much fun that I’m already asking them to make another film with me. Kya pata wahin ja ke bas jau main (What if I just go and settle there),” he quipped.
Director Gopichand Malineni revealed why he chose Sunny for his Bollywood debut, “I grew up watching Sunny Deol’s action films like Ghatak, Ziddi, and Damini. I wanted to bring back that version of Sunny for the audience.”
Sunny also spoke about the importance of returning to the kind of rooted stories that defined his 1990s hits. “Because of foreign influence, we forget what’s happening in our own country. We should go back to our roots and make films like Ghatak, Damini, and Arjun,” he emphasized.
In Jaat, Sunny plays a formidable lead character, with Randeep Hooda cast as the antagonist. Interestingly, Randeep shared he wouldn’t have taken the role if anyone else had played Jaat,”I was nervous because Sunny Deol has been the hero of all jaats.”
Sunny even joked how he convinced Randeep by reminding him how Bobby Deol, despite being a hero, embraced villainous roles.
Sunny further added that he’s open to playing negative roles too, but filmmakers hesitate due to his established image.
“I’d definitely do it, but the director and producer should have the guts. Fans want to see me a certain way, but I’m exploring on OTT to satisfy my creative side.”
Actor Vineet Kumar Singh, who also stars in Jaat, confessed that Sunny’s involvement was the main reason he came onboard, “Usually I look at the director, producer, role, and money—but for this film, I kept all my cards aside because I got Sunny Deol.”
Sunny wrapped up by reflecting on his family’s longevity in the industry, acknowledging his father Dharmendra’s recent success,”It’s not pressure. That’s how we are—we keep trying, we don’t back off.”
Jaat promises to be a full-blown mass entertainer, with Sunny Deol’s trademark style combined with South cinema’s powerful storytelling, ready to light up the screens soon.
