Sunny Deol

Sunny Deol Biography

Sunny Deol, born Ajay Singh Deol on 19 October 1957 in Sahnewal, Punjab, is an Indian actor, director and producer who works in Hindi cinema. The elder son of actor Dharmendra and his first wife Prakash Kaur, he has appeared in more than 100 films over a career spanning four decades and is widely identified with an “angry action hero” screen persona. He completed his schooling at Sacred Heart Boys High School in Mumbai and pursued higher education at R. A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics in the same city.

Deol made his acting debut opposite Amrita Singh in the romantic drama Betaab (1983) and followed it with action hits including Arjun (1985), Paap Ki Duniya (1988) and Tridev (1989). His portrayal of a boxer accused of murder in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ghayal (1990) won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and the National Film Award – Special Jury Award, while Santoshi’s Damini (1993) brought him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor along with a Filmfare Award in the same category. Border (1997) and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) were his biggest commercial successes, the latter becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film to that point. He has also directed three features: Dillagi (1999), Ghayal Once Again (2016) and Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019).

After Gadar 2 (2023) and Jaat (2025), Deol starred as Lt. Col. Fateh Singh Kaler in Border 2, released on 23 January 2026. He is set to play Hanuman in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 (2026) and its 2027 sequel, and headlines Rajkumar Santoshi’s partition drama Batwara 1947. Deol joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in April 2019 and served as Member of Parliament for the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab from 2019 to 2024; he did not contest the 2024 general election and no longer holds office. He married Lynda Deol, also known as Pooja Deol, in 1984, and the couple have two sons, Karan (born 1990) and Rajveer (born 1994). His father Dharmendra died on 24 November 2025 at the age of 89 and was posthumously conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 2026.

Basic Details

• Full Name: Ajay Singh Deol
• Date of Birth: 19 October 1957
• Birthplace: Sahnewal, Punjab, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Occupation: Actor, director, producer; former Member of Parliament
• Years Active: 1983 – present
• Education: Sacred Heart Boys High School, Mumbai; R. A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai
• Spouse: Lynda Deol, also known as Pooja Deol (married 1984)
• Children: Karan Deol (born 1990), Rajveer Deol (born 1994)
• Family: Son of Dharmendra (1935–2025); elder brother of Bobby Deol
• Major Honours: Two National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards

Career Highlights