Sunny Deol Responds to Labeling of Gadar 2 as ‘Anti-Pakistan’; Urges Viewers to Approach Films with Lightness

“Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma’s ‘Gadar 2’ Crosses INR 400 Crore Mark in India; Sunny Responds to ‘Anti-Pakistan’ Label”

Summary

1. Deol’s Response: The actor responds to the ‘anti-Pakistan’ tag attached to Gadar 2.
2. Characters’ Dignity: Deol highlights his commitment to not undermining characters in his films.
3. Cinema’s Purpose: The Gadar 2 star underscores cinema’s primary role as entertainment.

Gadar 2, featuring Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma, has stormed the Indian box office, amassing a staggering INR 430 crore in just 15 days. This spiritual sequel to the 2001 classic, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, unfolds against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. Sunny Deol reprises his iconic role as Tara Singh, who ventures into Pakistan to rescue his imprisoned son Jeete. While the film’s box office performance has been record-breaking, it has also faced criticism for allegedly being ‘anti-Pakistan.’ Sunny Deol has now responded to these allegations.

In a recent interview with BBC Asian Network, Sunny Deol addressed the controversy surrounding Gadar 2. He acknowledged that the 1947 partition had sowed seeds of animosity between the two nations but stressed that the situation had evolved into a political matter. He expressed his belief that people on both sides aspire to reconciliation and highlighted the shared humanity between them. Sunny also explained the narrative necessity of having contrasting characters, including a villain and a hero, in a film.

Furthermore, the actor clarified his longstanding commitment to not demeaning any character in his films, including in Gadar. He stated, “I have never run anyone down. I don’t believe in that.” Sunny cited his previous work, Border, as an example, noting that it was based on real-life accounts and experiences of soldiers during wartime. He acknowledged that audiences may interpret such films differently and sometimes take them personally.

When questioned about the potential impact of Gadar 2 on exacerbating tensions in a sensitive communal environment, Sunny Deol responded with a plea, “Don’t take these films so seriously.” He underscored that cinema primarily serves as a source of entertainment.

Gadar 2 also features Gaurav Chopra, Manish Wadhwa, Simrat Kaur, and others in pivotal roles, currently running in theaters.