Veteran Bollywood actor Sunny Deol has decided to stop producing and directing films in the future after facing difficulties and suffering losses when he tried to take on those roles. In a recent interview, Deol declared that he is quitting producing films and will solely focus on acting going forward.
Sunny Deol had turned producer and director over the years for several of his own and his family members’ movies. However, in interaction with the media, Deol admitted that he goes “bankrupt” whenever he produces or directs a film.
The revelation comes at a time when Deol is promoting his latest hit Gadar 2 which has been doing well at the box office.
Why did Sunny Deol quit producing films?
In an interview with BBC, Sunny Deol spoke in detail about why he is calling it quits on producing any more films in the future. Deol confessed he had a tough decade where his films did not get the required backing.
He highlighted how previously he could control things as an individual producer-director when film distribution was normal. However, lately, he has faced difficulties getting adequate screen count and marketing support for movies he produced himself.
Deol said “For an individual to stand tall over there, it’s difficult. You have to do your PR, run around, and they won’t give you your number of theatres.”
Sunny Deol wants to focus only on acting now
When asked about his plans going forward, Sunny Deol reiterated that he only wants to concentrate on acting at this stage of his career. He wishes to work in as many films as possible purely as an actor.
Deol admitted that earlier he took on too many responsibilities by becoming a producer, and director while also handling acting duties. He declared “I became a producer, a director, wearing too many hats. A man can only do one job. Throw everything away, just become an actor.’ So that’s what I want to do now.”
Sunny Deol’s Journey as a Producer
Sunny Deol had an illustrious stint both in front and behind the camera. His production house Vijayta Films was launched by father Dharmendra for Sunny’s debut film Betaab in 1983. They went on to produce several films starring Sunny and his brother Bobby Deol.
Deol formally took over the production reins with his directorial debut Dillagi in 1999. As a producer-director, he delivered hits like Indian, Ghayal Once Again in which he acted too.
However, his productions Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Mubarakan, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, and Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se proved to be box-office duds. These failures seem to have prompted his decision to quit producing altogether.
Gadar 2 Success Brings Sunny Deol Back into Limelight
Interestingly, Sunny Deol announced quitting production duties just as his latest film Gadar 2 clocks big numbers at the box office. Directed by Anil Sharma, the sequel to the 2001 blockbuster again pairs Deol with Ameesha Patel.
The film’s commercial success has brought Deol back into the limelight as the action hero who captures the masses’ imagination. This likely gave him the confidence to commit himself solely to acting assignments henceforth.
For Sunny Deol, Gadar 2’s box office numbers point to better days ahead with more promising lead roles. The actor seems content focusing purely on delivering powerful performances in front of the camera at this juncture, rather than dividing his energies across various responsibilities. Only time will tell if this shift in priorities brings revived success for the veteran star.