On a Rollercoaster With Sunny Deol: Utkarsh Sharma and Simrat Kaur Spill the Beans on Working With the Star of ’Gadar 2’

Working on “Gadar 2: The Katha Continues” was nostalgic for Utkarsh Sharma who plays Jeete, the son of Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) and Sakina (Ameesha Patel), in the sequel of the 2001 blockbuster film. He is reprising the role he played in the prequel set during the partition of India in 1947. “I once again felt like a 5-year-old kid on the sets,” he told American Kahani. “Having worked with Sunny sir before and seeing him in the Tara Singh avatar was like a time machine,” he said, adding that most of the crew and technicians who worked on the film were also part of the first film.

One of the top Bollywood earners at the box office this year, “Gadar 2” is now streaming exclusively on Zee5 Global. The film, helmed by Anil Sharma, revolves around  Tara Singh, Sakina, and their son Jeete, 17 years after their story in the prequel ended. The film follows Tara Singh as he ventures across the border in a daring attempt to rescue his son who has been captured in Pakistan. 

In the film, Sharma is joined by Simrat Kaur, who plays Muskan, his love interest. “Gadar 2” is her debut film. She described the experience as a rollercoaster. “I had my happy days, my sad days, my crying days, my upset days, my super excited days.” 

“The OTT platform is also another way for the world to see what works in India, what kind of films have bought audiences back to the cinemas.”

Both agreed that working with Sunny Deol was a dream come true. “I am really glad that I got to work with Sunny sir, it’s been a nurturing experience to learn from him,” Sharma said. “When you work with veterans, they definitely enhance your work,” he added. “Because they have a lot of experience to pass down. And that’s how it should work.” 

Despite Sunny Deol’s experience and aura, Sharma didn’t feel the pressure of working with him. “It doesn’t create pressure because great actors don’t always let you feel that. They always nurture you and that’s what I felt. It’s been a fulfilling journey.” 

Kaur, on the other hand, felt the pressure initially. “But when you are on the sets of ‘Gadar 2,’ there’s so much power on the set, that all the pressure just went away.”

Sharma also spent a lot of time on the set talking to Deol. Especially when they were doing the tank chase. “I got to know him a bit more then,” he said. “For me, that’s a memory ether in my mind forever because that scene between father and son epitomizes ‘Gadar 2.’”

Kaur recalled her first scene with Deol. She became so nervous to face the senior actor that she forgot all her lines. Everything changed after Deol spoke to her for two minutes. Her nervousness evaporated and she gave the shot. 

Both the actors are thrilled with the film’s success and are sure that it’ll reach a wider audience through Zee5. Sharma said, one of the reasons the film created “a mania in theaters is because it brought cultures closer.” He describes the film as “very Indian,” with “lots of Hindustani sentiments.”

Kaur chimed in saying not only did the film touch on patriotism, but it also highlighted the value of family and these two aspects of the film worked with the NRI audience. She is also excited about the opportunity for more and more people across the continents to watch the film. Sharma added: “The OTT platform is also another way for the world to see what works in India, what kind of films have bought audiences back to the cinemas,” as everyone around the globe is “trying to find out what is going to work for cinema. The film is a success story and it’s for the world to witness it and us being a part of it is just phenomenal.”