Questionnaires – Part 1 (Dharmendra and Sunny)

I have a very good Bollywood-watching friend, and one of the many fun Bollywood-related things we do in our free time is make each other fill out questionnaires about actors and actresses… so I’m kicking off my Deol Dhamaka posts with questionnaires on the Deols and their careers… obviously (given the name of this blog) I am starting with Dharmendra!

My favourite thing about Dharmendra is: His drop-dead gorgeous looks

My least favourite thing about Dharmendra is: Nothing really, acting-wise. On a personal note, I hate reading unpleasant stories about him, e.g. that he once hit a female journalist

My 3 favourite Dharmendra movies are: Chupke Chupke, The Burning Train, Anupama (and Satyakam, Jeevan Mrityu, Black Mail, Sholay … oops, sorry, I forgot you only asked for 3)

My 3 least favourite Dharmendra movies are: Anpadh, Naukar Biwi Ka, Ayee Milan Ki Bela (I have purposely avoided many of his 80s and 90s films, otherwise I’m sure more of them would be listed here)

I wish Dharmendra had: Done more movies with Sharmila Tagore

I wish Dharmendra had not: Made so many gross, tacky movies in the (mid-to-late) 80s and 90s

Dharmendra’s best career move was: Doing a good mix of movies – romance, bromance, drama, action, comedy

Dharmendra’s worst career move was: Doing so many forgettable (and sometimes outrightly bad) movies in the 80s and 90s – no-one remembers him (positively) for them now

What distinguishes Dharmendra as an actor: His smooth blend of manliness, sweetness and accessibility. He was a pin-up, an everyman, and a he-man all at the same time. And I think he was a wonderful actor – definitely one of the most under-rated in Bollywood

My advice to Dharmendra is: Enjoy your golden years, keep doing movies with your kids every now and then, and just… enjoy. Oh, and mwahhhh!!

And now to my dear Sunny D, whom I have a soft spot for:

My favourite thing about Sunny Deol is: His childlike quality and sincerity as an actor – he got it from his dad but I think he has it to a greater degree

My least favourite thing about Sunny Deol is: The lack of nuance/complexity in his acting. He can get very hammy very quickly

My 3 favourite Sunny Deol movies are: Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Ghatak: Lethal, Apne (I really need to see a lot more of Sunny’s films – especially Ghayal and Damini)

My 3 least favourite Sunny Deol movies are: the absolutely horrendous Insaniyat is the only one that comes to mind, but then I really haven't seen many Sunny Deol films - maybe just 5 or 6 in total

I wish Sunny Deol had: Done more varied films – experimented more – at the start of his career

I wish Sunny Deol had not: Done Darr!

Sunny Deol’s best career move was: Focusing on his strengths and becoming an action hero

Sunny Deol’s worst career move was: Perhaps not venturing beyond his comfort zone in the indsutry, but then again, maybe it’s a good thing he stuck to what he’s good at….

What distinguishes Sunny Deol as an actor: Muscle and brawn nicely underlaid with that sweetness and sincerity

My advice to Sunny Deol is: Keep doing what you’re doing… I like your recent choices (really want to see Yamla Pagla Deewana!) and I think they work for you… but step it up and do more!