Sunny Deol

Sunny Deol has been married to Pooja Deol, also known as Lynda Deol, since 1984. They have two sons, Karan Deol and Rajveer Deol, and the family generally keeps its private life away from public events.

His father is actor Dharmendra, and his younger brother is actor Bobby Deol. Esha Deol and Ahana Deol are his paternal half-sisters, while Abhay Deol is his cousin. Karan made his acting debut in Pal Pal Ke Paas, which Sunny directed, and Rajveer made his acting debut in Dono.

Sunny Deol made his film debut in Betaab (1983), a romantic drama produced by Dharmendra and directed by Rahul Rawail. The film was a major commercial success and earned Deol a Filmfare Award nomination. He strengthened his position with Arjun (1985), which established him as an action hero, followed by successful films including Paap Ki Duniya, Tridev and Dacait.

His performance as boxer Ajay Mehra in Ghayal (1990) brought him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and the National Film Award for Special Jury Award. In Damini (1993), he played an alcoholic lawyer whose courtroom speeches became central to the film's impact, earning him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The 1990s also brought Ghatak, Ziddi, Jeet, Arjun Pandit and Border. In Border (1997), he played Indian Army officer Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri. His best-known early-2000s performance came as Tara Singh in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), a Partition-era love story that became a major landmark in Hindi cinema. He later reprised the role in Gadar 2 (2023), which became the highest-grossing film of his career and earned him the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor, Viewer's Choice.

Deol made his directorial debut with Dillagi (1999), in which he acted alongside Bobby Deol and Urmila Matondkar. Although the film was not successful at the box office, it marked his first move behind the camera. He later directed Ghayal Once Again (2016), a sequel to Ghayal, and Pal Pal Ke Paas (2019), which introduced his son Karan Deol as an actor.

He also appeared with Dharmendra and Bobby Deol in Apne (2007) and Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011). These projects brought the three Deol actors together on screen and extended the family's film legacy into a new generation.

Sunny Deol joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019 and won the Lok Sabha election from Gurdaspur in Punjab. He served as a Member of Parliament from 23 May 2019 to 4 June 2024. His parliamentary attendance and engagement with constituency work drew criticism, and he later decided not to seek re-election, saying that politics was not suited to him and that he wanted to focus on cinema.

After a period of reduced film activity, Deol returned with Chup: Revenge of the Artist (2022) and then reprised Tara Singh in Gadar 2. His subsequent projects included Jaat and Border 2, reinforcing his established screen image as a forceful action performer. His dialogue delivery, confrontational roles and portrayal of characters resisting corruption and oppression have made him a lasting cultural reference in Hindi cinema.