Oct 17, 2026 11:39am IST
Sunny Deol Wanted to Dance His Own Way, While Dharmendra Insisted on Learning Every Step, Recalls Vijay Ganguly (EXCLUSIVE)
Sunny Deol may be known for his powerful performances, but dancing has never been his forte. Choreographer Vijay Ganguly, who recently worked with the actor on a song sequence for his upcoming film “Anthony,” recalls feeling nervous about asking him to dance, especially after an earlier experience with him at an awards show.
About how the sequence came together, Ganguly says, “The song is set during a celebration in Goa, where everyone is enjoying a festival. During the celebration, they call Sunny sir to join them, and he comes in.” Vijay Ganguly admitted he was apprehensive when the director told him Sunny Deol would have to dance in the sequence. “I was scared that Sunny sir wouldn’t agree to dance because during an awards show, he had clearly told me that he wouldn’t dance. So, when the director told me that Sunny sir had to dance for this song, I was quite nervous,” Ganguly recalls.
However, to Ganguly’s surprise, Sunny was willing to participate once he understood the situation. He had only one condition—he wanted to dance spontaneously rather than follow choreographed steps. “We explained the scene and situation to him. I wondered how to tell him he had to come into the middle and dance. But Sunny sir himself said, ‘Okay, I’ll come there, celebrate and dance.’ I immediately told him, ‘Sir, that would be fantastic!’ But he made one thing clear. He said, ‘I won’t do choreographed dancing. I’ll do something of my own, something fun.’ I was happy with that. And that’s exactly what he did. That’s what audiences will see in the film,” he says.
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Recalling the earlier experience, Ganguly, then an assistant, revealed that while Dharmendra and Bobby Deol danced at the awards show, Sunny stayed away from the performance. “This time, he understood it was a requirement of the script. He is a very intelligent actor and understands exactly what a script demands. He gave it his all, and performed completely from his heart.”
Ganguly, who also worked with veteran actor Dharmendra on the war drama “Ikkis” (2026), remembers an incident from a song shoot in Pune that left the entire team impressed by the veteran actor’s dedication. He shares, “I have worked quite a lot with Dharamji, including his last film, ‘Ikkis.’ I remember we were shooting in Pune at around 2 am. Towards the end of the song, he had to get up and dance with his friends. By the time we reached that part, it was already very late at night. He asked us, ‘What exactly do I have to do?’ We told him, ‘Sir, you just have to get up, enjoy yourself with your friends and dance.’”
But Dharmendra was not satisfied with simply being told to enjoy himself in front of the camera. “He immediately said, ‘Why haven’t you given me the lyrics? Why haven’t you told me what I have to do? Teach me the dance. I want to learn it, and I want to do it well.’ We were absolutely stunned. At his age, and after having accomplished so much in his career, he still wanted to learn everything properly and give his best.”
What stayed with Ganguly was the veteran actor’s enthusiasm and commitment despite the late hour and his health. “He immediately started working on the steps. It was remarkable to see someone with so much life and enthusiasm. He wasn’t even keeping well at the time, but he gave it his all,” Ganguly concludes.
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