Rajkumar Santoshi on whether Sunny Deol’s Muslim character damaged ‘Batwara 1947’ at box office: ‘We had thought about it’ |
Director Rajkumar Santoshi has opened up about whether casting Sunny Deol as a Muslim character in ‘Batwara 1947’ posed any risk to the film’s box office prospects, admitting that the thought had crossed their minds during the making of the film. Here’s what the filmmaker shared about what happened behind the scenes.
Rajkumar Santoshi admits they ‘had thought about it’
In an interview with Moneycontrol, Rajkumar Santoshi was asked whether Sunny Deol playing a Muslim character worked against the film in any way. He admitted, “We had thought about it,” but was quick to clarify that the casting was a deliberate creative choice. He explained, “He is a very justified character. For Sunny, as an actor, it is a different challenge for him. He was very excited. We had thought about it. He has a very popular image from ‘Border’ and ‘Gadar’. He is a strong character. He fights against the enemy territory, anti-Pakistan.”The filmmaker added, “But here he is playing a good Muslim, Sikandar Mirza. He fights against fanaticism. He fights against it.”
Rajkumar Santoshi reveals why he chose Sunny Deol for the role
In the same interview, Rajkumar Santoshi revealed that his long friendship with Sunny Deol played a role, but the final casting decision was rooted in the film’s mainstream appeal. He said, “We are good friends. We have made three successful films together. But every film is different.”The director also shared how the project came together. “We were planning to make a separate film in 2008. We had been deciding to work on the film when I decided the subject. I told Sunny that we will do it. He liked it very much. I wanted it to be a mainstream film. Sunny is the number one star and most popular star today. I wanted it to reach people. That’s why I wanted a star like Sunny Deol to play this part.”He further added, “Besides, he is a fantastic actor. He does every role convincingly. That’s why I chose Sunny.”
Sunny Deol’s departure from his usual onscreen image
Rajkumar Santoshi and Sunny Deol reunited on screen with ‘Batwara 1947’, continuing one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated director-actor collaborations, having previously worked together on ‘Ghayal’, ‘Damini’ and ‘Ghatak’. In ‘Batwara’, Sunny plays Sikandar Mirza, a Muslim man who stands against fanaticism, a sharp contrast to the patriotic, action-hero image audiences associate with him from films like ‘Gadar’ and ‘Border’.‘Batwara 1947’ was released in theatres on August 14, 2026.
