Chaalbaaz (1989): Sridevi and Sunny Deol

Sridevi and Sunny Deol on the sets of Chaalbaaz. 1989.

Sridevi's fashion, makeup, how the fiml was shot, the fast edits... the movie was a director's tour de force.... sadly Pankaj's films after that have... not been great. 

Behind the Scenes of Joshilaay with Sunny Deol, Sridevi and Shekhar Kapur

A throwback to March 1984, Cine Blitz goes behind the scenes of the expensive production of Joshilaay. Long before they worked together in Mr.India, suave model turned director Shekhar Kapur was fanning out at the young starlet Sridevi. 

Sunny Deol on the other hand... was not as impressed with the southern sensation, who by 1984, had a dozen hits while, Sunny was still struggling to get a foothold despite a blockbuster debut! 

Making hay while Sunny shines!

When my editor mentioned a location shooting at Panchgani, I was thrilled! It was to be my first outdoor assignment. But my enthusiasm soon waned when I learnt that the cast comprised of a dull, reticent Sunny Deol and a dumb, gawky Sridevi for Shekhar Kapur's Joshilaay.

Early, on a bracing wintry day the rest of the press and I bumped along in a rickety, old coach to the picturesque little hill-station. Our hotel was a quaint little place on a hillock overlooking a wide lake in the valley. The producer Mr. S. H. Rizvi was the very epitome of hospitality. After a quick freshening up we rushed to the site which was on a 'table-top - a flat piece of land on top of a hill.

As we neared the site a man hurried towards us flailing his arms. He turned out to be Shekhar Kapur, the effervescent, ever cheerful director. With him was his continuity girl - bubbly young wife Medha.

The film is an action thriller on the lines of a Cowboy Western and Shekhar plans to shoot the whole film in brown and yellow hues. On that particular day he had had the common enemy. "As the plot thickens," Shekhar explained, "and the two come close together they develop a mutual respect for one another, even though they are diametrically opposite in nature."

As the technicians got the shot ready, we heard a lilting tune float by. It was part of the song sequence which they were to shoot for the next two days and pretty soon the whole unit including us were humming it almost constantly. The scene they shot the first day had Sunny sitting atop a haystack looking on mischievously but inconspicuously at Sridevi, a gypsy girl dancing with her friends. Sunny was surprisingly rather voluble and he gestures. Sridevi dressed in a bright green and scarlet gypsy outfit suited the role to the hilt. After smiling a shy hello at us she went back to the dance director's instructions. Anil was not present as he was not part of the schedule.

Director Shekhar Kapur on set with newcomers
Sunny Deol and Sridevi in Joshilaay

Shekhar appears to be a most fastidious director, much to the chagrin of producer Rizvi who has had to accompany him all over India scouting for suitable locales. "I've almost exhausted all my finances just hunting for locations with this fussy man," revealed Rizvi, good humouredly. Even on the days we were there I noticed Shekhar's penchant for details. Apart from explaining each artiste's role at length, his eye would be strained for the smallest straw of hay that was out of place! He appeared almost captivated with Sridevi's effortless acting and the ease with which she followed the dance instructions. "She is one of the most natural actresses ever," he gushed. "Her spontaneity is remarkable. As for her dancing—it is sheer pleasure watching her." And as I watched her shoot for the next two days, I found that Shekhar had not exaggerated. After pack-up as Sridevi and Sunny posed for still photographers, I was fascinated by their thorough professionalism. Otherwise, the communication between the two was almost nil, but as the bulbs flashed the couple transformed themselves into a photographer's delight, posing comfortably and romantically, instinctively knowing what the other wanted.

The next day I decided to make the most of Sunny's talkative mood. I wonder whether it was the holiday-like, relaxed atmosphere of the place or whether it was being away from Bombay that made him speak rather expansively on intimate subjects like marriage, love, affairs etc. Expecting him to clam up when I mentioned the word 'marriage' (because of the strong rumours about his own), he surprised me with his willingness to speak at length on it, "Of course, I believe in marriage whole-heartedly. You see affairs may come and go but in the end it's only the wife that matters. When you come home after a tired day and you have a loving wife waiting for you, you suddenly realize that that's what life's all about." When I asked him what qualities he would seek in his ideal woman, he eulogized on his mother whom he considers to be the ideal. And from his wife he would want, "Deep love and understanding. You see, being in this profession I am aware that I am constantly a victim of all kinds of gossip and slander, so my wife should know me well enough and take it all in her stride. I'll give her anything I can, lay the world at her feet, for she's my wife but in return I expect constant reassurances of love and understanding—two things I thrive on. Typically, like most male chauvinistic husbands, he detests nagging. "I think nagging slowly destroys two people who are very close to each other." With all this oblique talk on marriage, my curiosity got the better of me and I couldn't help asking whether he'd ever marry an actress. He gave a long... "

Sunny Deol and Sridevi in Nigahein: Images Grok'd!

The original image and its Grok edit; Sunny Deol, Sridevi and Pran in Nigahein. 

Released on 11 August 1989, two days before her 26th birthday.  She looked so tall, slim and striking... 

Sunny Deol and Sridevi on the sets of Chaalbaaz: Rare Pic of stars in white

Sunny Deol with Sridevi: Champagne chemistry on screen: Cold water off

I'll give due credit to both stars on this; though they famously didn't get along, you could never tell on the big screen, on camera, in stills... 

Sridevi with Sunny Deol on the sets of Chaalbaaz

Yet another rain song for Sridevi. The much talked about Kisike haath na aayegi from Chaalbaaz. 

With the wet Sunny Deol, who somehow managed to keep up with Sridevi, despite being one of the worst dancers in the history of Indian cinema. Saw Jeet in the cinema back in the day and when Sunny paji was dancing to Yaara oh Yaara, the audience burst out laughing - Kiku Sharma still uses that as reference in the comedy show when he mimics Sunny. Well, they were laughing all the way to the bank as Jeet was a superhit and Chaalbaaz was a success as well. 

Only in India do we need action stars to be great dancers as well! I mean, you can't imagine Sylvester Stallone or Jean Claude Van Damme cutting a rug can you?! Well, there is that lol-meme of JCVD dancing in the 80s... cringe. 

Sridevi and her costars: Rajinikanth, Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan

A fine observation by Anil Kapoor, "She [Sridevi] wanted to be the best even at the cost of sacrificing her personal life."

 ...well, all except Saif Ali Khan, who did a Filmfare cover shoot with Sridevi, but no film! 

Sridevi with Bollywood's Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, and her frequent co-star across Tamil and Hindi films, Rajinikanth. 

A rarely seen poster of Sridevi and Sunny Deol in Nigahein: Nagina Part II

 

A rarely seen poster of Sridevi and Sunny Deol in Nigahein: Nagina Part II 

Sridevi's comedic genius in Chaalbaaz: Sunny Deol couldn't match up or catch up!

Sridevi's comedic genius in Chaalbaaz: Sunny Deol couldn't match up or catch up! Sunny Deol's unforgivable quotes about Sridevi in Aap ki Adalat haunts us Sridevi fans. What an unkind and uncharitable thing to say about the great one. For someone generally reticent and quiet, to speak about a lady, when so many others have betrayed him in unprecedented levels, its a low-blow. 

Sridevi and Sunny Deol: Joshilaay, Ram Avtar, Nigahein: Superstars of the 1980s

Sridevi and Sunny Deol: Joshilaay, Ram Avtar, Nigahein: Superstars of the 1980s

 

Sunny Deol turns 68! Sridevi's co-star of 6 films

Sridevi and Sunny Deol in Sultanat

Sridevi and Sunny Deol on the sets of Joshilaay

Sridevi and Sunny Deol in Main tera Dushman

Rajinikanth, Sridevi and Sunny Deol in Chaalbaaz

Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Sunny Deol on the sets of Ram Avtar

Sridevi and Sunny Deol in Nigahein

Sunny Deol is officially a senior citizen; eldest of Dharmendra, the son of Punjab, turns 68! 

Above, Sridevi and Sunny Deol in the half dozen or so films they did together. Sunny Deol was six years older than Sridevi, but certainly didn't have her range of staying power or box-office success as the No:1 heroine of her time. Deol, an inconsistent actor--be it performance or box-office--has the most dramatic highs and lows in Hindi cinema. 

Son of icon, legend, superstar Dharmendra, the acorn didn't fall far from the tree. TBH Dharmendra's a better... well, everything. Dharmendra, 89, was the most handsome man of Hindi cinema, a phenomenal dramatic and comedic actor and a true-blue top movie star and box-office draw, who could really act. One of the greats, living legend... we are running out of aphorisms! 

First-born Sunny Deol however... well, he can be good with a great script and good director (Ghayal, Damini - ie Santoshi). Gadar and Gadar 2 box-office success boggles the mind. It paid homage to- and fan service of- Sunny Deol the star more than his (limited) thespian skills. The over-the-top acting, jingoism, over-the-top scenes worked but... this wasn't one for awards and critical acclaim. When Gadar first released and did phenomenally well, Sunny was genuinely shocked his movie didn't win or garner more accolades and trophies - his understanding of cinema remains stunted, especially in a world that had moved on and embraced change in Hindi cinema. Don't forget, Gadar released the same year as Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai; era defining and changing cinema. Sunny Deol was still making formulaic '80s hits. When he came home empty handed after Filmfare, he blamed politics, film magazine's incestuous coterie, favouritism, sycophancy and games that he didn't know how to play. Well, two things can be true at the same time. He didn't know how to deal with Mumbai media, nor did he grow in the direction that Hindi cinema was heading. For 22 years between the sequel and the original hit, Sunny Deol had one dud after another, leaving his finances in question - and open for ridicule from other lenders and producers.  

Maybe the gentle giant can pass the baton forward. TBH his own eldest son shows little promise, but there's hope in the second son. We also have an inkling it will be Bobby Deol's son who's going to keep the family name alive. Nepo grand baby? Well, yeah. That's how the industry works.  

Senior Sunny will be seen in a handful of sequels, the ip like his 'dhai kilo ka haath' remains strong.  

Film families run the industry, but who will succeed down the line remains to be seen.

Dharmendra, Sridevi and Sunny Deol at the premiere of Ghayal

UPDATE;

Wow, Sunny Deol's fandom came at us today hammer and tongs. Please note, we have no monkey in this circus, the above is just observation based on statistics, and facts. 

Sunny Deol's Filmography Overview: Hits vs. FlopsSunny Deol has appeared in approximately 80 lead or major roles in Hindi films from 1983 to 2019 (excluding special appearances, voice roles, and projects like Gadar 2, which was a major hit in 2023). Based on box office verdict compiled from sources like Box Office India and film analysis sites, his career shows a mix of successes in the 1980s and 1990s, followed by a longer streak of underperformers in the 2000s and 2010s.
Key statistics (considering "Flop" as any film recovering less than 80% of its budget, including Below Average, Average, Disaster, and similar categories):

• Total movies analyzed: 80
• Hits (profitable releases, including Semi Hit, Hit, Super Hit, Blockbuster, All-Time Blockbuster, Above Average): 27 (34%)
• Flops: 53 (66%)

Percentage of movies that are flops: 66%For a visual breakdown, here's a pie chart showing the distribution of verdicts across his filmography:This chart highlights the dominance of flops in his overall output, though his hits (e.g., Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Border, Ghayal) were often massive blockbusters that defined his action-hero legacy.Decade-Wise BreakdownTo show trends over time, here's a table summarizing hits and flops by decade:

Decade	Total Movies	Hits	Flops	Hit %	Notable Hits	Notable Flops
1980s	19	9	10	47%	Betaab, Arjun, Tridev	Sunny, Sultanat
1990s	26	13	13	50%	Ghayal, Damini, Border, Gadar	Zor, Dillagi
2000s	21	3	18	14%	Apne, Yamla Pagla Deewana	Jo Bole So Nihaal, Kaafila
2010s	14	2	12	14%	Indian (2001 spillover)	Blank, Bhaiaji Superhit
Total	80	27	53	34%

His peak success came in the 1990s with a near-even split, driven by high-energy action dramas. Post-2000, flops outnumbered hits significantly, often due to changing audience preferences and competition from newer stars. Recent revivals like Gadar 2 (2023, All-Time Blockbuster) the rumoured sequels on powerful IPs, indicate a return to form... but only time will tell. 

Left: Sunny Deol's tribute to Sridevi posted the day after she passed. Strangely, if you go to his social media, he seems to have removed the tribute thereafter. Wonder why...