Deol Dhamaka

Okay.

So.

I've spent a week trying to figure out how to leap into Deol Dhamaka.  I've turned post ideas over in my head, and rejected them.

After mulling and mulling and mulling, seriously, I think the best thing I can do is to tell you to go read the Most Excellent Introduction to Deol Dhamaka written by Ness, because she pretty much covered everything I ever could have wished to.

However -- let me add a few personal reflections here.

First, on Dharmendra -- actually, let me quote what Ness wrote about him:

"I love him mostly because judging from the persona that comes through in his films and in his interviews, he is quite clearly slightly lunatic, with a heart the size of a small planet, and because he is half responsible for the glorious presence of his beautiful sons Bobby and Sunny in the world."

Yep, what she said.  Also?  Watching him makes my heart melt.

How much do I adore Chupke Chupke?  Oodles.  Ooodles and oodles and oodles.

And to be honest?  My first Deol crush post-Dharam-ji was not, in fact Sunny.  Yes, it was Bobby.

I know, right?  But the first film I ever saw with Sunny in it was Arjun Pandit, and for a long time afterwards all I could think of when I saw Sunny was this:

 

I haven't had the nerve to watch Arjun Pandit again since.  I've got it sitting here on tape, so maybe I'll deal with it sometime this month.  Maybe.

And considering that the next Deol I saw on film was Bobby, in Barsaat, well:

Squee.  Melt.  I have a post about Barsaat already lined up and sitting in the queue....

But.  Even though I didn't watch a Sunny film for a long time after Arjun Pandit, the next one I did watch was Damini, and it turned me into the complete and total Sunny Deol fan that I am today:

Yes, that is where that famous "Yeh Dhai kilo ka haath jab kisi pe padta hai na aadmi uthta nai uth jata hai.." dialogue comes from.

Sunny won a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the troubled, alchoholic lawyer Govind who comes to the defense of the film's title character, Damini, and it's one of my favorites of all his films. 

Finally, there's cousin Abhay Deol -- who holds the record (despite my love for Sunny) of being the only one all of whose films I've actually seen, and written about.  I love Abhay's quirky choices in films, I think he's very talented -- just like his famous uncle and cousins. 

So, there we are.  A little insight into where I'm coming from this month -- and I'm rather looking forward to seeing what the other contributors to this wild and crazy tribute to the Deol clan have to add to the mix!

Comments

[Never-evil]

Chupke Chupke ♥
I am ashamed to say I haven't seen many Dharmendra films but that one was just all kinds of adorable.

Heh, Sunny Deol's Damini portrayal was so iconic that to this day hindi serials have storylines about alcoholic lawyers with troubled pasts who come into the plot to rescue the heroine. Most recent example being in a show called Tere Mere Sapne I think.

I LOVE BARSAAT. Soooooooo much! Seriously. Have a post lined up for it as well and I can't wait to read your thoughts.

Agreed about Abhay, he always makes interesting film choices.

[ness]

I just thought of another post.

Damn this Deol Dhamaka is addictive.

Thanks for the plug :) and GASP! You loved Bobby before your all consuming love for Sunny took over? I NEVER suspected.

[katherine]

@Ness Well, I think it just shows that if you hit just the wrong film, you can seriously be put off by someone. Damini is interesting, too, because I seriously hate Rishi's character in that film. If that had been the first Rishi film I'd seen, I might not have watched another one, or at least not for a long while.

I think that's one of the reasons I'm so fascinated by first films -- not only the first film/debut film of an actor -- but also the first film we see them in as a viewer. I think I've got something lined up about that when I look at some first films this month, at this point I can't remember if I've written it or if I've planned to.

@Never-evil Poor Abhay. Suddenly Deol Dhamaka is reducing him to "he makes interesting film choices". Which is kind of interesting. :-)