Dharmendra, not Sunny Deol as Tara Singh in Gadar? Director Anil Sharma explains

Anil Sharma has revisited the making of Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel-starrer Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, opening up about the film's casting decisions and the journey behind one of Indian cinema's biggest blockbusters.

In Short

• Anil Sharma recalled envisioning Dharmendra as Tara Singh in Gadar
• The director spoke about the casting process for Ameesha Patel as Sakina
• Gadar completed 25 years of its theatrical run on June 15

Twenty-five years after Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel’s Gadar: Ek Prem Katha stormed theatres and became a cultural phenomenon, director Anil Sharma sat down with India Today, revisiting the memories behind one of Hindi cinema's biggest blockbusters. In an exclusive conversation, the director revealed that before Sunny, he had first imagined Dharmendra as Tara Singh.

"When we were penning the film, the character in our mind was someone who dances, sings, and plays instruments. My first reaction was, if only we could have gotten a young Dharmendra? Dharamji used to do comedy, dance, sing and have so much fun. Because a young Dharmendra was not possible, we instantly thought of Sunny Deol. There was no other choice, and no better actor than him to play Tara Singh," the 71-year-old director said.

He added that audiences got to see a side of Sunny that had rarely been explored on screen before. He mentioned that the superstar is quite humourous in real life, but only with his close friends. Since Sharma was familiar with that trait, he decided to exploit it and make Sunny do something different and fun.

The Veer director also opened up about casting Ameesha Patel as Sakina, a role that would eventually launch her into stardom after her debut in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. Sharma revealed that hundreds of aspiring actors auditioned before the team narrowed down its choices. "During our search for Sakina, we auditioned almost 400-500 girls. We finally shortlisted 15-16 and Ameesha was one of them."

While her beauty stood out immediately, Sharma admitted he initially had reservations about her handling the demands of the role, given how she came from a privileged background. However, those doubts disappeared quickly, as he said, "That girl worked more than needed. I have launched so many heroines in my life. But I haven't seen a more dedicated girl. She worked so hard. She used to come to my house every day and rehearse throughout the day. I could forget the dialogue, but Ameesha remembered every bit of it. She absolutely became Sakina."

The filmmaker further recalled the moment the idea for Gadar first came to him and said he immediately sensed its immense potential. So convinced was he about the story's power that he predicted the film would go on to become one of the biggest blockbusters in the country.

"When the story of Gadar came to me, I was sitting in my bedroom. I just got up and started walking around the room. I could feel so much energy, so much adrenaline, I couldn't stop. At that time, I claimed that this film would be a big hit in India, probably the biggest hit. Maybe Goddess Saraswati blessed me as it turned out to be true," the 71-year-old director said.

For Sharma, the emotional core of Gadar was not in Partition but deeply rooted in one of India's most beloved epics. He said, "When I thought about it, the story seemed to be like Ramayana. Lord Ram is bringing Sita from Lanka. And when the child demands his mother, that is the emotion that would instantly connect with everyone. So people won't feel that they are actually watching Ramayan, but the core remains the same."

About Gadar

The action drama is based on a story by Shaktimaan Talwar. Set against the backdrop of the Partition of India in 1947, the film stars Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel in lead roles, Amrish Puri, Vivek Shauq, Lillete Dubey and Utkarsh Sharma in supporting roles. Loosely inspired by the real-life story of Boota Singh, the narrative follows Tara Singh, a Sikh trucker, who falls in love with and marries Sakina, a Muslim woman, only to face separation and political upheaval as she is taken back to Pakistan by her family.

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha released on June 15, 2001.

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