Rajkumar Santoshi rejects Shabana Azmi's theory on Sunny Deol's Muslim role in Batwara 1947
hindustantimes.com
Shabana Azmi says Sunny Deol wouldn't play a Muslim in 1989 — but director Rajkumar Santoshi says Amitabh Bachchan did it, so why not Sunny?
Typecasting TheorySocial Identity TheoryAudience Reception Theory
Theory Briefing
- Shabana Azmi claimed Sunny Deol's star image made him an unlikely choice to play a Muslim character in Batwara 1947.
- Director Rajkumar Santoshi pushed back, pointing to Amitabh Bachchan's history of playing Muslim roles as a counter-example.
- The dispute surfaces a broader question about whether an actor's off-screen persona shapes which roles audiences will accept from them.