Kanikka Kapur on witnessing Sunny Deol's performance: 'The whole set used to go silent'
Mumbai, Aug 11
Actress Kanikka Kapur has opened up about her experience of meeting veteran actor Sunny Deol while working on the film 'Dono', which also marked the acting debut of his son Rajveer Deol.
Recalling her time on the set, Kanikka praised Sunny for his warm and gracious nature and spoke about the impact of watching him perform. Talking about Sunny, Kanikka told IANS, "I had the opportunity to meet Sunny Sir when I was working for the movie Dono with his son Rajveer, he has always been extremely gracious, extremely kind and always very very warm towards me and I will always have the utmost respect for him."
"I remember, in 1-2 scenes where I was a small part, I used to sit and watch and the way he used to say his lines, he used to utter one line and the whole set used to go silent, even after every take everyone used to clap, it was a treat to watch him act."
Kanikka also opened up about her experience of working on 'Batwara 1947', describing her time on the sets as a "dream". The actress said she has several fond memories from the shoot, but one particular moment remains especially memorable for her. Recalling the day of her final look test with Karan Deol, Kanikka revealed that she was asked to perform a highly emotional scene even before the actual shoot had begun. To her surprise, both Preity Zinta and Sunny Deol were present on the set that day.
"When our dialogues were over, we were still sort of in our emotions only, until the director said cut. And when he did, I had tears in my eyes. I was crying inconsolably. I could not even see clearly what was happening behind the camera, but then suddenly I started hearing the sound of claps and with my blurry vision, I saw that people were standing up."
Kanikka went on to state, "But there was one face that made the moment even more special. "As I wiped my tears. I saw that Preity ma'am had watched my scene and she also stood up to applaud for me. It was everything for me. I came out of the scene, hugged her and she said 'you were so good, I was so moved."
"Growing up, she was my favourite person. I have adored her in movies like Kal Ho Naa Ho and Koi Mil Gaya; they are my favourite childhood films. But to see your idol, who you've looked up to, say such good things to you, means everything."
Kanikka Kapur is set to make her film debut with "Batwara 1947." Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, and produced by Aamir Khan under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions, the film is set in Lahore against the backdrop of the 1947 partition of India and the division of Punjab. The film also stars Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh and Khushi Hajare.
'Batwara 1947' is slated to hit theatres on 14 August 2026.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is such a sweet and wholesome story! It's refreshing to see young actors speak so highly of the veterans. And the part about Preity Zinta applauding her is heartwarming—Preity ma'am has always been so graceful. I hope Kanikka's debut film does well. The partition theme is always tough but important to revisit.
Sunny paaji ke dialogue delivery ki bat hi kuch aur hai. The way he says "Tarika hai" or "Beta" in Damini gives me goosebumps even today. Good to see the next generation appreciating this. Also, Aamir Khan producing a film about the 1947 partition? That's going to be a serious, hard-hitting watch. Count me in for Aug 2026!
The story about breaking down during the emotional scene and then seeing Preity Zinta standing and applauding is so touching. As someone who grew up on Kal Ho Naa Ho and Koi... Mil Gaya, I can only imagine how much that moment meant to her. Bless her! Also, Rajveer Deol seems to be following his father's footsteps nicely. All the best to the team. 🎬
Nice to read positive things about Sunny Deol, but I wish the article had more details about the plot of Batwara 1947. The partition is a sensitive and complex chapter of our history. I just hope the film does justice to the subject and doesn't make it a jingoistic spectacle. Fingers crossed, but I trust Aamir Khan's production sensibilities.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.