Actor Sunny Deol has revealed that he was not originally part of Damini and got the role in the film after requesting a part in it.
Starring Meenakshi Seshadri in the titular role, Damini also features Rishi Kapoor and Amrish Puri.
During the trailer launch event of Ikka, Sunny told reporters, “When I did Damini with Rajkumar Santoshi, our friend was producing the film. At that time, I wanted to be part of this film but I had no role in it.”
“There was a small character in it and he (Santoshi) asked me if I would like to do it and I instantly said yes as I wanted to be part of it. We didn’t think this film will create the impact that it did,” he said.
Deol further added that while he is keen on portraying such characters again, he is unsure of their trajectory, calling the character’s journey his high point. He said Damini gave him fans at the time, but nothing similar followed.
Speaking about his role in Ikka, Deol said he was immediately drawn to the story when Siddharth narrated it, adding that the project kept evolving until Netflix stepped in to back the film.
“I didn’t get a chance after Damini (to be part of a courtroom drama). I was very happy when this subject came to me. We were trying to make Damini 2 which didn’t happen,” Deol said.
Described as a hard-hitting legal drama, Ikka stars Deol and Akshaye Khanna in a story centred on moral dilemmas rather than courtroom theatrics. The film pits two men with a shared past against each other in a case that threatens to test their convictions.
The ensemble cast also includes Tillotama Shome, Dia Mirza, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Shishir Sharma and Akansha Ranjan Kapoor.
Deol noted that in Ikka, Shome’s character, a public prosecutor opposite him, brings in the iconic “dhai kilo ka haath” reference from Damini, adding that while it was a crowd-pleasing, she performed it beautifully.
Talking about working with Khanna in the film, Deol said, “I got to work with Akshaye (Khanna) on this film. I did Border with him and that was the first film where we both were together. We had fun while working on that film. I’ve known him for so many years. He is more aloof than me. But hes a gem of a guy.”
Ikka is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on July 10.