Ali Fazal has opened up about his experience of working with Sunny Deol in Rajkumar Santoshi's upcoming period drama Batwara 1947. The actor, who makes a special appearance in the film, shared insights into how he became a part of the project, his admiration for Sunny Deol, and why stories based on India's Partition continue to remain relevant. He spoke about the film in an exclusive conversation with NDTV after the makers recently unveiled the second teaser ahead of its August 14 theatrical release.
Speaking about sharing screen space with Sunny Deol, Ali Fazal described the veteran actor as warm and supportive throughout the filming process. He said, “Oh, Sunny sir is all heart. I think people know that. The whole family is like that. I think their family has been a big part of the history and the legacy of our film industry. There's a lot of respect for him. He was very collaborative. It was a lovely journey. We shot it for a while. Some patchwork was left, and we shot it later. It was really nice.”
Although Ali Fazal is seen briefly in both the first and second teasers, he revealed that his role follows a different trajectory from the film's central storyline. Without revealing details about his character, the actor said he joined the project unexpectedly while juggling other commitments.
Recalling how the film came his way, Fazal said, “Batwara came very randomly in the middle of all the stuff I was doing. I had a nice chat with Aamir (Khan) sir. It's again an important film, a necessary film. Rajkumar Santoshi had given me a lovely narration of the script. I told him, ‘You make it and don't change anything along this journey. It's just beautiful the way it is. I am a small part of the film.’”
The actor also reflected on why films based on the Partition continue to hold significance, especially at a time when similar narratives are making their way to the big screen. With projects like Ikkis and Main Vaapas Aaunga also exploring historical themes, Fazal believes such stories encourage audiences to reflect on the past.
He said, “Time calls for introspection. It calls for us not to forget the fights of common men, the trials and tribulations of common people that have gone into arriving at this stage where we are. It's also important for new generations to understand there was a time like this. Our history is very diverse and rich. This sad truth happened to us and divided us in many ways.”
Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, Batwara 1947 marks his reunion with Sunny Deol after nearly three decades following films like Ghayal, Damini, and Ghatak. Produced by Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions, the film features music by A. R. Rahman with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It also reunites Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta on screen and is scheduled to release in theatres on August 14.
More Pages: Batwara 1947 Box Office Collection
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