Rajkumar Santoshi’s Partition drama ‘Batwara 1947’ has reunited Sunny Deol and veteran actress Shabana Azmi on the big screen. While their emotional equation forms an important part of the historical saga, their latest collaboration has also revived memories of an old chapter — when Sunny had strongly reacted to Shabana’s criticism of his blockbuster ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’.Back in 2001, ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ created a massive storm at the box office, emerging as one of the biggest successes of its time. However, the Anil Sharma directorial also attracted considerable political and social debate over its depiction of Partition, nationalism and tensions between India and Pakistan.Shabana Azmi was among the prominent voices to question the film’s treatment of these themes. According to a BBC report, the veteran actress had criticised the narrative and called the film provocative.The report quoted Shabana Azmi saying, “Gadar confuses the issue of nationalism, religion and identities without dealing with the complexities of the pain the Partition created in its wake.” She also described the film as “provocative, which positions Muslims as the Other.”Sunny Deol, who has often been known for expressing his views candidly, did not take the criticism lightly. In an interview with shared by India Forums, the actor directly addressed Shabana’s remarks and defended the film’s intentions.“Shabana Azmi’s comments really disappointed me. She’s supposed to be educated and well-read, and then she goes ahead and makes inflammatory statements against the film. Those who made a noise about the film were only trying to be in the news. The success of Gadar proves that there wasn’t anything wrong with it… its public acceptance has shut up everyone who had anything negative to say about it,” he said.Sunny further explained why the criticism had upset him, insisting that the film was never intended to offend any community or provoke religious tensions.“I was upset. The story was set during the Partition, but there was no intention to hurt anyone’s feelings or stir up trouble. The two main protagonists are very pure and innocent. Those who thought the film projected an anti-national stance… those who insisted that we were out to hurt religious sentiments… have warped minds!” he added.More than two decades later, their paths have crossed again in a story set against the backdrop of Partition. In ‘Batwara 1947’, the dynamics are strikingly different. Sunny plays Sikandar, a Muslim migrant in Lahore who uses his strength and determination to protect and shelter an elderly Hindu woman, portrayed by Shabana Azmi.The casting adds an intriguing layer to the film, bringing together two actors who once found themselves on opposing sides of a debate over a Partition-based story. In 2026, ‘Batwara 1947’ has given Sunny and Shabana an opportunity to explore a very different emotional equation against the same turbulent historical backdrop.
