Before Akshay Kumar took over as the king of action, there was Sunny Deol.
Bollywood’s favourite angry young man of the 1980s and 1990s, Deol, now 58, regularly starred in high-testosterone dramas that always translated into box-office gold. His action sequences – some of them still referred to as the stuff of legend – remain popular to this day, and have inspired a generation of actors, directors and stunt choreographers.
His upcoming film Ghayal Once Again is the much-anticipated (and much-delayed) sequel to his 1990 superhit Ghayal (Wounded), which won seven Filmfare Awards and earned the actor his second Best Actor gong as well as a National Award.
Deol reprises his role as the honest-to-a-fault Ajay Mishra – now older, wiser and the founder of a hard-hitting daily newspaper – who this time around takes on the most powerful man in the city. For Deol, Ghayal Once Again is a strategic return to action films, after starring in a string of self-produced comedies that received a lukewarm reception.
In an interview with The National, he talks about the enduring appeal of the Ghayal franchise, and the film's fight sequences, which were directed by some of the best talent from Hollywood.
The sequel comes nearly a quarter of a century later. How have you kept the story coherent and relevant?
We are bringing Ghayal into 2016, and that is what the story is about. The Ajay Mehra from 1990 is now in his 40s and we have shown how he would be in today's day and age.
Why did you decide to act in the sequel yourself?
I feel very close to the character and I felt I was the best person to play him. The sequel was written accordingly.
How would you say Ajay Mehra has evolved from 1990 to 2016?
Then, he was a young man ferociously fighting for truth and justice. He has grown. He has gone through lots of losses in life and feels he is not done with his fight for justice yet.
The action sequences were led by Hollywood's Dan Bradley, who worked on films such as Independence Day, Spider-Man and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. You still look fit, but did you face any challenges shooting heavy-duty action sequences after all these years?
Not really. I am playing an older version of the character in this film and all the sequences are designed accordingly. It’s not like I am trying to be a 16-year-old and trying to break any fitness records. It’s all in keeping with the character’s age and abilities in a realistic way.
Ghayal had a very strong message about the relentless fight for justice. Is there a message in Ghayal Once Again?
As Ajay Mehra says: “Agar hum sach ke saath hain, toh humein jeetne tak haar nahi maanni chahye” (if we stand by the truth, then we should not give up until we achieve victory). That is the message in this film. It is our responsibility as human beings to do better for ourselves and for the whole of humanity. Even if we take small steps to better ourselves, in a way we are working towards the betterment of society as a whole. That is the message. The film is very relatable and I guarantee that everyone watching the film will be able to relate to the story or the characters in one way or another.
Ghayal Once Again is in cinemas now
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