Batwara 1947: Sunny Deol says Pakistan is our 'mausi', refuses to discuss politics

Actor Sunny Deol on Sunday shut down a question about Pakistan during a promotional press conference for his upcoming film Batwara 1947 in Patna. The actor, accompanied by his son Karan Deol, interacted with the media when a journalist asked him to comment on the "atmosphere" in Pakistan, given that his film is set during the India-Pakistan Partition.When asked whether the film had been shot in Pakistan, Deol immediately dismissed the claim, saying it was filmed entirely in India."Ye movie ko aapne Pakistan me shoot kiya hai. How do you see Pakistan as a nation aur vahan ka atmosphere aap kaise batana chahege?" (You have shot this film in Pakistan. How do you see Pakistan as a nation, and how would you describe the atmosphere there)?, the journalist asked.Deol, who did not hesitate to respond, clarified, "Ye vahan par nahi shoot kiya hai, ye Hindustan me shoot kiya hai." (It wasn't shot there. It was shot in India). He then spoke about the idea of India and Pakistan once being one country before Partition, recalling how his father, late actor Dharmendra, would refer to Pakistan as his "mausi" (maternal aunt)."Hum feel ki baatein nahi karte because pura mulk ek hi tha. Jaise papa ne kaha ki ye meri maa hai aur vo meri mausi hai - ye toh aap log sab achi tarah se jante hain. Hum sab ek tarah se hain toh jude hue kahin na kahin se." (We don't think in those terms because the entire country was once one. As my father used to say, 'This is my mother and that is my maternal aunt'—you all know that well. In one way or another, we are all connected.) The 68-year-old further declined to comment on Pakistan or the current socio-political situation. He stressed that he is an artiste whose job is to tell stories, not get involved in political debates."Main us sab me zyada jana nahi chahta lekin hum actors hain, we are makers. Hum kahaaniyaan chunte hain aur kahaaniyan banate hain. Usko phir hum yahan vahan, usko politically nahi le ke jate hain aur na jana chahte hain. Isilye main us sabki baat hi nahi karuga." (I don't want to get into all that. We are actors; we are storytellers. We choose stories and make films. We don't want to take them in a political direction. That's why I won't comment on those matters). Batwara 1947 follows a Muslim family that migrates from Lucknow to Lahore during Partition and is allotted an old haveli. However, the property belongs to a Hindu woman who refuses to leave. Sunny Deol's character and his family stand by her and help her fight to stay in her home despite mounting opposition.The film reunites Deol with director Rajkumar Santoshi, with whom he previously collaborated on Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak.Batwara 1947 also stars Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta and Karan Deol. The film is slated for release over the Independence Day weekend this year.- EndsPublished By: Vineeta KumarPublished On: Aug 3, 2026 17:01 IST