Actor-turned-director Sunny DEOL prefers to put the spotlight firmly on his son Karan for Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, says Sakshi Sharma
We have been watching the father-son duo Sunny and Karan Deol for a while. At the press conference that preceded the interviews, they made sure to answer each question, some humorously and others, a little seriously. When a reporter asked Sunny to deliver one of his famous dialogues, he pushed his son forward and said, abhi bachchon ki baat karte hain (We must talk about the kids now). Even when all the those who were assembled requested him again, he stood his ground before asking Karan to sing a song from his forthcoming film. As often happens, even when it concerns parents who are nowhere near the arc lights, Sunny too placed his offspring in focus. So despite performances from his past films having made a strong impression on people’s hearts, the actor-turned-director does not seem to be hankering for more attention.
When questioned about taking a backseat for his son’s debut, Sunny said, “I am not bothered about such things because I am not insecure. Even when I started my career I was beyond all this. I want to tell youngsters to be confident and proud of who they are. Success and failure are a part of life because every one cannot have the same pace. You should enjoy every moment because life happens but once. There is no point creating more stress for no rhyme and reason?”
Karan is making his debut with Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. It is a love story set in snowy regions of Himachal Pradesh. Directed by Sunny, the film revolves around the journey of two youngsters who are in love and ready to face any hurdles to be together.
Working with a family member and that too a son is special for anyone. But in such cases it is important to maintain a balance between the personal and the professional. “It was a great experience. Jaisi humari family hai, humlog beta baap door-door hi rehte hai, dost nahi hote. (The kind of family that we have, my son and I usually stay apart. We are not friends). It took three years to prepare for this film. During this journey both of us spent a lot of time with each other. I will always cherish these years,” said Sunny. While talking about his son, the slight smile that consistently hovered on his lips revealed his love.
But a father launching his son naturally gives rise to the loud whispers about nepotism especially in Bollywood with two opposing camps arguing for and against it. When asked about the same, Sunny answered really promptly as if he was anticipating the question. “Had people not favoured nepotism, they would have asked some questions from the heroine too during the press conference. But they did not. Every question was directed at either me or my son. This itself explains the mindset of the people. I believe, every child’s journey is based on his/her capabilities. It has nothing to do with what their parents have done,” said he.
Of course when your father is the director, it is inevitable that most people would allege that Karan would get a stronger role. But Karan disagrees, “It’s a perception. When you see the film, you will realise that both the characters are equally strong. They are supporting each other.”
Sunny explained that he had not planned that Karan should debut in a film directed by him and would have preferred some other director. But that didn’t materialise. For lack of options, he decided to take on the mantle on himself.
From an actor Sunny who has displayed his charismatic personality, to a director, he believes that there is no such thing as “challenge” in life. Acting and directing are professions that he has taken up and both need preparation. He said, “There are people who speak out their problems loudly but one should not. I have understood that mushkile sabke paas hai, mai koi alag thodi hu. (Everyone has some problems, I am no different). If you don’t have problems, you will remain in your comfort zone and not move forward. I would encourage the youth not to fall prey to that.”
The first hurdle was the kind of film that Sunny wanted to make. The senior Deol had decided that he wanted to make a film but was not sure about the storyline. “I hired Jassi and Ravi (writers) and we did a lot of brainstorming before coming up with an idea. As the germ of an idea made its presence felt, I realised that this was something I always wanted to do. I wanted to understand today’s generation and bring forth their perspective. We often try to put the youth in a pre-determined mould rather than understanding what they want to do. There was a time when we followed traditional practices, but we cannot enforce the same on our kids. Today’s youth is very different,” said Sunny. However, one thing which made the film different was that he had not put any restrictions before the shoot began as Sunny wanted the story to find its own path.
The film has been shot in villages near Manali where survival is tough. The actors had to go through physically and mentally challenging hurdles which were in addition to the fact that both of them are young and naive. Karan has played the role of a Himachali boy which was not easy for a boy who grew up in urban Mumbai. So, prior to the shoot he spent three to four months analysing and understanding how people live in that region. He said, “It was tough because it’s a different lifestyle altogether. It took time to adjust to that place. I had to wake up early and trek in the cold weather. It was very taxing physically. Post trek I had to rappel and do rock climbing. I used to crash as soon as I hit the bed. Dad took us to a place where there was hardly any civilisation. It was very tough to bring out emotions as the high altitude presented another set of challenges.” But the actor is glad that he went through the gruelling experience as he now has a sense of accomplishment. He added that he has found a new love and affection for his city.
While Karan was balancing the role of an actor, his father had to look at all the aspects of the film rather being focussed on just acting. Sunny said that he was looking for the best singer because music plays a vital role. “My music is very new and story-driven. I believe that a song should always go with the flow of the story rather than putting it just for the sake of it. I am fond of doing new and interesting things as remakes are boring,” he said.
But looking back at his chequered career, even people who hadn’t been born when Ghayal was released in 1990, are well versed with his famous dialogue, “Jab yeh dhai kilo ka haath kisi pe padta hai na, toh aadmi uthta nahi utth jata hai?” The Gadar actor is known for his strong roles. Irrespective of whether it is a comic or a serious role, it was his powerful personality that made an impact. He said, “No matter what the role was, the way I portrayed it made it different. I tried to infuse all my roles with a personal touch so that it looked natural.” Recalling an incident from his film Ziddi he said, “There is a scene where people tell me, ‘tumhari behen ko usne chedh diya.’ I believe that if someone does this in reality main haath ukhad dunga. Because I wanted the scene to look natural I said that those were the dialogues I wanted to mouth. When people heard this, they started laughing wondering how could someone do this. But I did that scene. That’s my belief, as an actor. When I take up something I do it with honesty.”
There is another role that Sunny has taken upon himself, that of a member of Parliament from Gurdaspur. On foraying into the field of politics, he said that it is one more profession he wanted to do justice to. “People know that if I take up anything in life I take it to a high point where it should have been,” said he.
During the whole session Karan seemed quite nervous. When asked about the same, before we could even complete the sentence Sunny defended him. He said (pointing towards the lead actors of the film) “They have come to a point where what happens on a Friday will dictate their tomorrow. They are unaware whether it will be smooth, hard or filled with opportunities.”
When asked about the plethora of emotions that Karan was going through, he said, “I feel nervous and excited. I am eagerly waiting for the response to my film.” As he answered the questions his face began to turn red clearly revealing how frightened he was. He added that his anxiety won’t let him sleep until the film releases. Pointing towards Sunny he said, “I can understand now what he must be going through with every release.” The thought that first impression is the last has Karan worried.
Right from the black and white era when Dharmendra became a part of the industry, to Sunny and Bobby, the Deols have made a mark in Bollywood. Naturally, with such a family background, the baggage is heavier. Karan said, “People are keenly looking out for your negatives to put you down. They don’t see that it’s my first experience as an actor. I can’t be perfect from the word go just because I come from a particular family. With time and experience, I will polish myself and grow as an actor. I want to push my family name forward and hopefully with this film, I will be able to do that.”
The film has a plethora of emotions ranging from excitement, sadness and romance, it was not easy for Karan to portray one and switch to another instantly. For an experienced actor that would be easy but tough for a beginner. He shared that during an emotional scene Sunny made sure that the atmosphere of the set facilitated it.
Crediting all his learnings to his father, Karan said, “No other director would have pushed me the way dad did. When I went home after shoot, he taught me how to get into the mood for a scene instantly. As he knows my personality he was aware how to bring out a particular emotion. It is important for a director to know a person, especially a newcomer so that s/he can be moulded in a desired way. Because he is an actor himself he understands all the facets better. And it was my dad, so yes it was a really emotional journey.”
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
