From Gadar 2 to Dono, here’s how 2023 is turning out to be the year for the Deols

By Rajiv Vijayakar -

August 10, 2023 - 3:02 PM IST

The Deols are finally seeing a bright phase together. And high time! After all, the family that began their love affair with cinema way back in 1960 (with Dharmendra’s debut in Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere) has always deserved its place in the sun.

From Gadar 2 to Dono, here’s how 2023 is turning out to be the year for the Deols

Dharmendra
With Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani touching Rs. 100 crores, the OG He-Man of the industry gets not just an entry into this club but also, on-screen, his first kissing scene with Shabana Azmi! A memorable performance as the man who drives the story completes the icing on this cake.

For Dharmendra, however, 2023 is much more: he has already made a key cameo as saint Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer in all the seasons of the ZEE5 web series, Taj—Divided by Blood and its follow-up show, Taj—Reign of Revenge. What’s more, he has also signed Maddock Films’ next co-starring Dimple Kapadia, Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon.

Also, Ikkis, a biopic on Param Vir Chakra winner Arun Khetarpal, will be shot later this year. The film is directed by Sriram Raghavan and co-stars Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson, Agastya Nanda with Dharmendra.

Sunny Deol
After a re-release of his iconic 2001 blockbuster, Gadar—Ek Prem Katha as a kind of extended trailer to his forthcoming Gadar 2, Sunny proved that his iconic Sikh character of Tara Singh was as fondly thought of today as was the case 22 years ago. The re-released film’s successful reception only showed that there was huge excitement and anticipation for the sequel, Gadar 2, and its other pivotal characters of Sakeena and Tara’s and Sakeena’s son Jeete. The advance booking reports are enviable and the media predicts a double-digit opening. A smooth sail into the Rs 100-crore club—a first for Sunny too—seems near-certain.

Karan Deol
On June 18, Dharmendra’s grandson, Sunny Deol’s elder son and two-film-old actor Karan Deol married his long-time girlfriend, Drisha Acharya. Drisha, also the late filmmaker Bimal Roy’s great-grand-daughter, is considered a rising star in the world of tech.

Rajveer Deol
Sunny Deol’s younger son, Rajveer Deol, now starts out as actor too in Rajshri Productions’ love story and 59^th film, Dono, directed by Avnish S, Barjatya, Sooraj R. Barjatya’s son. Rajveer will romance Paloma Dhillon Thakeria, Poonam Dhillon’s daughter.

Interestingly, Poonam Dhillon has been a leading lady with both Sunny Deol and (later to Sunny!) Dharmendra. Dharmendra had also worked in Rajshri Productions’ fourth film, Jeevan Mrityu, which had a 100-week run in Mumbai and introduced Raakhee to Hindi cinema.

Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol is playing a powerful role in Animal, releasing on December 1. The film is expected to be a blockbuster as it is directed by Kabir Singh-fame Sandeep Vanga Reddy. It stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna. Reportedly, Bobby is also in the case of Welcome 3.

Also Read: Anil Sharma discusses the ‘reasonable’ budget of Gadar 2; says, “These days, heroes and directors charge so much”