His looks and the onscreen roles he has done are polar opposites of the person he is in real life. A soft-spoken Sunny Deol rarely gets hassled as he faces a barrage of questions from the media that had gathered to meet him. "This is a part of our job," says Sunny, with a smile, as he settles for a chat with TOI.The actor, who has been a regular visitor to Bangalore since childhood and whose debut film Betaab was shot here, is fond of the city. So what does he have to say about the city that seems to be losing its sheen? "But that is the situation in every city of India. And modern-day cinema is a reflection of this society," says Sunny, adding that that kind of cinema does not appeal to him and hence, his increased interest in his home production and the movies they make.
"Often, people did not understand the kind of cinema we wanted to make and we couldn't find producers. There were times when we have even been taken advantage of," says Sunny.
By his own admission, Sunny is a veteran actor who gets to romance younger heroines like Kangana Ranaut onscreen, but he doesn't have any qualms about that. "We are actors and play characters onscreen. The age of the heroine doesn't matter then. But yes, there are times when we do think about it. Eventually, though, only the story matters."
And while he loves acting, Sunny isn't a fan of watching movies. "I don't see films, not even my own, as I end up being critical about myself and thinking that I could have done better," says Sunny, adding. "But I have seen some of Chintu's (Rishi Kapoor) son's (Ranbir Kapoor) work and I believe that he is doing the kind of work we would have done." The problem, says the actor, is that the young crop of actors is obsessed with flaunting six-pack abs instead of concentrating on doing the right kind of work. "Everyone wants success, but they lack self-respect," he adds.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that Sunny is also gearing up to direct a film to launch his son Karan in films. "That's incorrect news. Right now, I am busy with my films and if I direct Karan then I will have to take a year off work, which I am not ready to do as yet," says Sunny.
