‘Do we deserve our independence?’: Sunny Deol on ‘Batwara 1947’ and the enduring pull of patriotic cinema in India

Dubai: If there is one actor who has become the long-enduring poster boy for patriotic cinema in Bollywood, it is Sunny Deol.

For over three decades, this age-defying Indian actor has been Hindi cinema's undisputed face of unapologetic, chest-thumping nationalism. From leading Indian soldiers into battle in the Border films to delivering the now-iconic "Hindustan Zindabad tha, hai aur rahega" (roughly translated to India's freedom is non-negotiable) in the Gadar franchise, Deol has built a career on characters whose love for the country is fierce, uncompromising and impossible to ignore.

Ahead of Batwara 1947 release on the Independence Day in UAE cinemas, I ask Deol if patriotism has changed over the four decades he has spent in Hindi cinema.

"I don't think patriotism changes," he says during our Zoom interview with Gulf News. "You love your country whenever you are... Home is home. How can home change?"

For an actor whose screen persona has long been defined by fiery speeches and unforgettable patriotic dialogues, his definition of nationalism is remarkably uncomplicated. Patriotism, for him, begins not with slogans but with an emotional attachment to home.

It is perhaps this simplicity that explains why patriotic cinema continues to resonate with audiences.

What was once largely associated with Independence Day and Republic Day releases has steadily evolved into one of Bollywood's most dependable genres. Patriotic films are no longer seasonal offerings.

They have become year-round box-office contenders, attracting the industry's biggest stars and filmmakers. Stories inspired by wars, historical events, national achievements, constitutional milestones and ordinary citizens rising to extraordinary challenges continue to find an audience, proving that the appetite for stories rooted in the nation shows little sign of fading.

Recent years alone have seen films such as Sam Bahadur, Fighter, Article 370, Sky Force and Kesari Chapter 2 strike a chord with audiences, while stars including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Sunny Deol have all, in different ways, embraced stories that celebrate the nation, its people and defining moments in its history.

The growing appeal of the genre is perhaps best illustrated by Batwara 1947 itself.

At the time of our conversation, Deol was preparing for the film's release in India while awaiting censor clearance in the UAE. Produced by Aamir Khan Productions, the historical drama reunites Deol with filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, the director behind some of the defining films of his career.

The Zoom video interview itself came with an unexpected bonus. I had logged on expecting to speak with Sunny alone. Instead, director Santoshi joined the conversation, turning what began as a promotional interview into an engaging discussion about patriotism, justice, humanity and why audiences continue to embrace stories about the nation.

Santoshi believes Deol's connection with patriotic cinema has never been manufactured.

"By nature, Sunny is a nationalist," he says.

"He is very much concerned for the country and the countrymen. Whenever there is a patriotic dialogue or a moment where somebody talks or fights for the nation, it comes very naturally to him. It doesn't look like he's acting. He believes in that."

Coming from the filmmaker who directed Deol in Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak, it is an assessment that carries weight.

Yet Santoshi is equally quick to challenge the notion that their films were ever defined by patriotism alone.

"Ghayal had nothing to do with patriotism," he says.

"Damini was about justice. It was about the suffering of ordinary people trying to get justice. Ghatak was about fighting the negative elements of society. Sunny represents the common man's feelings, pain and anger."

It is a distinction that says as much about Bollywood's patriotic cinema as it does about their partnership.

The films that endure are rarely remembered only for waving the tricolour or celebrating military victories. Whether set on a battlefield, inside a courtroom or against the backdrop of a defining chapter in history, they succeed because they place people at the heart of the story.

That is also how Deol sees Batwara 1947.

"It's a family film," Deol says, gently steering the conversation away from the labels that have followed him for much of his career like India's go-to hero for patriotic films. Akshay Kumar comes a close second.

"It's more about humanity. It's nothing to do with being patriotic or not. It's about the family and humanity and how we go through it."

It is a surprisingly nuanced description of a film set against the backdrop of Partition, particularly from an actor who has become synonymous with patriotic cinema.

That perspective also helps explain why the genre has continued to thrive. The most memorable patriotic films rarely ask audiences to simply celebrate the nation. Instead, they tell stories of individuals navigating extraordinary moments in history, reminding viewers that the idea of a country is ultimately shaped by the lives of its people.

It is a philosophy that runs through many of Deol's defining films. Border was as much about the bonds between soldiers as it was about war. Gadar found its emotional heartbeat in a husband's desperate attempt to reunite his family across a newly drawn border. Even Batwara 1947, despite unfolding against one of the darkest chapters in the subcontinent's history, is, according to Deol, rooted in humanity first.

"I know what I did," he says when I ask him about the labels attached to his films. "Even Ghatak, people say it's an action film. But to me, it was always a love story. People start giving it different labels. I can't fight with them."

His answer perhaps reveals something equally true about Bollywood itself.

Genres often become labels. Audiences may walk into theatres expecting patriotic spectacles or action dramas, but the films that endure are usually those that transcend those descriptions.

That may also explain why patriotic cinema continues to attract some of Bollywood's biggest names. Akshay Kumar has repeatedly explored stories inspired by India's armed forces, scientists and unsung heroes. Salman Khan has reflected the nation's journey through films such as Bharat. Aamir Khan, whose productions have often gravitated towards socially relevant storytelling, has now backed Batwara 1947.

The genre has evolved beyond military dramas into a broad canvas that accommodates historical epics, courtroom dramas, biographical films and stories inspired by real events.

For Santoshi, however, labels have never mattered as much as honesty.

"As a filmmaker, I try to be honest with the subject I pick up and choose."

That creative philosophy has arguably kept his films relevant across generations. While the settings have changed, the emotional questions they ask have remained remarkably consistent. What does justice look like? What is courage? What are we willing to sacrifice for those we love? Those questions resonate whether the backdrop is a courtroom, a village, a battlefield or a nation in transition.

As our conversation draws to a close, I ask both Deol and Santoshi what Independence means to them today.

For Santoshi, the answer lies in freedom of expression and collective responsibility.

"Independence means you can express your thoughts, your ideas freely without any fear," he says. "Together, sharing the ideas with every Indian... to work on the development of the country."

Deol pauses before answering.

"Thousands and thousands of people gave their lives to get us this independence," he says. "Now when I see the way society is developing, it's a question everyone should ask. Do we deserve it? Are we doing something for which those people sacrificed? Are we worth it?"

It is a striking way to end a conversation that began with a film and gradually expanded into something much larger.

Patriotic cinema may have become one of Bollywood's most enduring and commercially successful genres, but its finest stories have always asked audiences to look inward as much as outward.

Perhaps that is why these films continue to resonate long after the Independence Day celebrations are over. In an industry constantly searching for the next big trend, patriotic cinema has quietly established itself as a storytelling tradition because it continues to ask timeless questions about identity, justice, humanity and the responsibilities that come with freedom.

And maybe no question captures that better than the one Sunny Deol leaves hanging in the air as our interview comes to an end.

"Do we deserve it?"