Rajkumar Santoshi opens up about the difference between Sunny Deol’s screen persona and the newer style of action heroes seen in contemporary Hindi films, including Ranveer Singh’s character in Dhurandhar.
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Rajkumar Santoshi discusses masculinity, compares Sunny Deol with Dhurandhar (PC: Twitter)
The release of Batwara 1947 has reignited discussions about how Hindi cinema portrays action heroesWith Sunny Deol leading the film, many viewers naturally compared its action and central character with the larger-than-life style seen in recent films such as Ranveer Singh’s smashing blockbuster Dhurandhar franchiseDirector Rajkumar Santoshi has now addressed those comparisons and explained why he sees a clear difference between the two charactersWhile praising Ranveer’s performance, Santoshi said his own approach to action is rooted in purpose rather than simply displaying physical power.
Rajkumar Santoshi on action and masculinity
In a conversation with India Today, Rajkumar Santoshi spoke about the comparison between Batwara 1947 and DhurandharHe praised Aditya Dhar calling him a “very fine director” and also acknowledged the success of Uri: The Surgical StrikeSantoshi said Ranveer Singh had “fantastically performed” in Dhurandhar.
However Santoshi said he has a different view of how masculinity should be presented through action charactersHe explained that he is not against muscular action but believes violence should have a meaningful reason behind it.
Santoshi said, “Today people are using bad words, abusing, drinking; it’s so cheapSunny has played action heroes with dignityHe has played the role of a true macho guyThose are powerful and memorable performancesWe (Sunny and I) will do more action films, but with standards and classNot to show off strength, but with good reasoningThere should be a good purpose to fight and hit a man.”
Why Santoshi sees Sunny Deol’s character differently?
The filmmaker also discussed the difference between Sunny Deol’s character Sikandar Mirza in Batwara 1947 and Ranveer Singh’s Hamza Ali Mazari in DhurandharSantoshi acknowledged that someone who has gone through extreme torment and torture could react in the way Ranveer’s character does.
For Santoshi the key difference lies beyond physical strengthHe wanted Sikandar Mirza to be defined by the choices he makes while facing difficult circumstancesThe character’s courage and willingness to take a stand are central to the story.
Santoshi described Sikandar Mirza as “the most courageous character I have written”.
He explained that fighting an army or a group of people is one thing but standing against fanaticism in the present time requires a different kind of courageThe director said, “One can fight with a single army, or a group of people, but to fight and take a stand against fanaticism in today’s time, impossibleNobody will dare to do that.”
Batwara 1947 box office performance
Batwara 1947 marks the reunion of Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi after nearly three decadesThe two last worked together on the 1996 action film GhatakThe new film has received a mixed response from audiences and criticsIts domestic collection stood at around Rs 34.47 crore net after its first weekThe film also starred Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal and Abhimanyu Singh in crucial roles.
About Dhurandhar franchise
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the Dhurandhar spy-thriller franchise follows undercover Indian intelligence agent Jaskirat Singh Rangi aka Hamza Ali Mazari, played by Ranveer SinghWorking deep undercover in Karachi, he infiltrates dangerous criminal syndicates and the ISI-underworld nexus with the aim of dismantling terror networks.
The franchise features a star-studded cast including Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, RMadhavan, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun along with talented supporting cast membersAccording to tracking site Sacnilk, the franchise went on to become a major box-office success.
The first instalment earned Rs 1,307.35 crore worldwideIts blockbuster sequel Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge took the franchise’s combined worldwide collection to a historic Rs 3,100 crore, making it one of the most successful action duologies in Indian cinema.
