Sunny Deol and Shah Rukh Khan reportedly stopped talking for sixteen years after they worked together on Yash Chopra’s Darr, which was released in 1993. Sunny Deol clarified that he disagreed with Yash Chopra about the climax of the movie. The actor felt that his character was deliberately made to look weak to establish Shah Rukh Khan as a powerful antagonist.  

Why Was Sunny Deol Unhappy With Shah Rukh Khan's Role In Darr?

In Darr, Sunny Deol played the character of an Indian Navy officer, Sunil Malhotra. Shah Rukh Khan played the antagonist Rahul Mehra, an obsessive stalker pursuing Sunil's wife, Kiran, played by Juhi Chawla.

The psychological romantic thriller was released in 1993. Later, the movie became one of the defining films in Shah Rukh Khan’s early career. His stammered dialogue, "K-K-K-K-Kiran", became particularly memorable.

Sunny, however, disagreed about how the characters were portrayed. He not only objected to Shah Rukh Khan’s negative portrayal as a powerful antagonist but also questioned his character. 

As per Sunny, his character Sunil, who was a trained naval commando, needed to be shown as assertive and strong. But the character was shown as vulnerable in the final confrontation.

In an appearance on India TV's Aap Ki Adalat with Rajat Sharma, Sunny explained that he had expected his character to be portrayed differently. He said his issue was that he had not anticipated the antagonist would be glorified.

"My only issue with the film was that I did not know they would glorify the villain," he said.

Sunny added that he had approached the project with trust and an open mind, but the eventual treatment of his character did not match his expectations.

(Image Credit: IMDb)

Sunny Deol argued with Yash Chopra over Darr's climax and tore his jeans

Sunny specifically emphasised that he did not like the climax of the movie. 

In the film’s final confrontation, Rahul manages to stab Sunil despite facing him directly. Sunny questioned the logic of the sequence, arguing that a trained commando could not be so easily overpowered by an ordinary civilian.

Recalling the argument, Sunny said, "I had a heated discussion with Yash Chopra regarding the climax."

He explained his objection: "I tried explaining that I am a commando officer in the film. My character is an expert and fit; then how can this boy beat me easily? He can beat me if I can't see him. If he can stab me while I am looking at him, then I won't be called a commando."

Sunny could not convince Chopra. The conversation left Sunny angry and frustrated. While he was trying to control his anger, he put his hands inside the pockets of his jeans and ended up tearing the trousers.

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Did Sunny Deol deliberately stop talking to Shah Rukh Khan?

In the same interview with Rajat Sharma, Sunny Deol clarified that he did not deliberately decide to avoid Shah Rukh.

"It's not that I didn't talk, but I just cut myself off, and I anyway don't socialise much. So we never met, toh baat karne ki baat hi nahi hai," Sunny said.

Are Shah Rukh Khan And Sunny Deol Talking Now?

As per reports, Sunny and Shah Rukh eventually reconnected, with their equation becoming public in August 2023.

After Gadar 2 was released on August 11, 2023, Shah Rukh Khan praised the film during an #AskSRK session on X. When a fan asked whether he had watched it, Shah Rukh replied, "Yeah, loved it!!"

Sunny subsequently revealed in an interview with Zoom that Shah Rukh had called him before watching the film to congratulate him on its success.

Recalling their conversation, Sunny said Shah Rukh told him, "I'm so happy, you genuinely deserve it."

In April 2025, Sunny, in an interview with News18, said he had no objection to sharing screen space with Shah Rukh again.

"There are so many stars; I can work with any of them. I recently said that I worked with Shah Rukh in Darr, so I wouldn't mind doing another film with him. Let's see what we can do now," he said.

When asked whether he remained upset about the old disagreement, Sunny replied, "I wasn't upset as such. Whatever happened then, it happened; that time has passed."

ALSO READ: Aishwarya Rai To Soha Ali Khan: 5 Actresses Who Were Almost Cast Opposite Shah Rukh Khan

More than three decades later, Sunny Deol and Shah Rukh Khan appear to have put the past behind them. Would you like to see the two reunite on screen? 

FAQs

1. Why was Sunny Deol angry with Shah Rukh Khan after Darr?

Sunny was unhappy with how Shah Rukh's antagonist character was glorified and how his own character, a naval commando, was defeated in the climax.

2. Did Sunny Deol and Shah Rukh Khan stop talking for 16 years?

Yes, they reportedly had no communication for 16 years. However, Sunny clarified that he had withdrawn socially and they simply did not meet.

3. Have Sunny Deol and Shah Rukh Khan reconciled?

Yes. They reconnected over the years, and Shah Rukh publicly praised Gadar 2 in 2023. Sunny has also said he would be open to working with him again.