‘Whether It’s Tara Singh or Sikandar Mirza…’: Anil Sharma on Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947

As director Anil Sharma, who ran the Gadar franchise, says, Sunny Deol’s popularity is far beyond his performance on the screen. Sharma said viewers have formed a real connection with the actor because of his gentle approach to life and family and the kinds of characters he has been playing in the past.

In a conversation exclusively with News9 Digital, Sharma spoke about Sunny Deol’s appeal as a mass hero and also his thoughts on the actor's new role as Sikandar Mirza in Batwara 1947.

Anil Sharma on Sunny Deol’s Evergreen Appeal

Sunny Deol is a good actor and a good person, Sharma said. The Deol family has been able to keep a good relationship with the audience by staying away from unnecessary controversy and always being a family guy.

Sharma said: “Sunny is a very good human being and a wonderful actor,” and the qualities that have helped the actor stay popular throughout the years.

In the filmmaker's view, celebrities are known for being genuine and truthful, so the audience likes celebrities that are rooted, true, and genuine to the real. He also noted that the Deol family has always been able to avoid negative comments towards other people and that they have not commented negatively about others and continue to keep family values and positive feelings towards India in general.

For Sharma, those qualities have built trust between Sunny Deol and his audience. It’s that emotional connection, he thinks, which is one of the reasons he remains so popular when he looks back at it over 30 years at the top.

Whether It’s Tara Singh or Sikandar Mirza…‘

Sunny Deol has played powerful and patriotic roles, and Tara Singh from Gadar is probably one of the most popular roles in his career.

When asked about Sunny’s portrayal of Sikandar Mirza in Batwara 1947, Sharma admitted that he had not yet seen the film but had seen and enjoyed its trailer.

The filmmaker said that the film centered on national integration and that the message at its heart is the same no matter who is depicted.

“And whether it’s Tara Singh or Sikandar Mirza, the message remains the same,” Sharma said.

He drew a parallel with his own Gadar and said that the film was about love surviving and flourishing when in fact it was in the midst of hatred. Sharma’s emotional and human message was at the heart of the film’s appeal.

Batwara 1947 Explores Partition and Humanity

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, Batwara 1947 is based on Asghar Wajahat’s famous play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai. The story takes place in 1947 when India was partitioned.

The movie is a story of Sikander Mirza, a Muslim man from Lucknow to Lahore, who moves with his family. The family is given a house after arriving in Pakistan that had been abandoned by a Hindu family.

But an elderly Hindu woman still lives in the house and refuses to leave her home. The conflict that develops is at the heart of the story and deals with displacement, communal discord, human nature, and coexistence.

The film has been produced by Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit under Aamir Khan Productions.

Batwara 1947 Box Office Performance

However, despite the very strong subject matter and big ensemble cast, Batwara 1947 has struggled at the box office.

The film opened with around ₹5.75 crore India net on 14th August and took in about ₹26.50 crore India net on opening weekend. A week later, its India net collection was about ₹33.60 crore at the end of its first week.

And the film is also being compared with Emraan Hashmi’s Awarapan 2, which is putting pressure on its theatrical performance.

Sunny Deol is playing in Batwara 1947 alongside Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal, and Abhimanyu Singh in key roles.

While the box office numbers have been below expectations, Anil Sharma’s words highlight the importance of its main message. Sunny Deol has always been so attractive to Gadar, for the director and the movie-maker, for example, for the audience, as a character and story that connect with people emotionally.

Sunny Deol, as the film’s Tara Singh or playing Sikandar Mirza, is still a kind of cinema Sharma believes resonates with the Indian audience.