If there’s one Bollywood actor who’s perfect for a south Indian-style masala film, it has to be Sunny Deol. The “dhai kilo ka haath” (two and a half kilo arm) would fit right in with the “sureshot, no doubt, puccha pelipoddi” (your head will burst) sensibilities of Gopichand Malineni’s films. 

So it’s a good thing that these two are teaming up for a Hindi-Telugu bi-lingual film that was officially launched on Thursday and goes on floors on Saturday. Talking to Hindustan Times, the Telugu filmmaker explains why he’s excited to direct Sunny, his favourite films of the actor and more.

‘Sunny said yes immediately’

When Gopichand speaks to us, he is in the middle of a look test. While busy, the excitement in his voice is palpable when he talks about landing Sunny for the film. “More than nervous about my Bollywood debut, I feel confident that it’ll be a good film,” he says. Ask him why and he adds, “I wrote the script knowing it’ll be perfect for someone like Sunny. Luckily, Mythri Movie Makers (the producers) also agreed and helped me approach him. To my surprise, Sunny said yes immediately because he liked it so much.”

‘A racy script with a touch of realism’

But prod Gopichand about what his script is really about, and he clams up. “I wish I could reveal much, but I can’t yet. Let’s just say the film has a particular plot point that sets it apart. It’s not just about the mass elements my films usually have; it’s going to be a racy script with a touch of realism,” he explains. But more than anything, Gopichand is pumped to direct Sunny. “He’s a big action hero, I’m a mass director and we have the perfect script. And let’s be clear, it’s not a remake,” he adds.

In fact, Sunny and Gopichand’s vibe matches so much that they’ve even seen each other’s films. “Sunny has seen Krack, he liked it,” says the director giddily, of his hit 2021 Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan-starrer that revived the box office for Telugu cinema during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Me on the other hand, I think I’ve seen all his films. My favourites are Ghayal, Damini, Gadar, Border...” lists Gopichand as he’s called away for work.

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