Not Sunny Deol, Om Puri was the original choice for Damini: ‘There was no dhai kilo ka haath’

The filmmaker explained that he was working as Govind Nihalani’s assistant when the script was being developed, and the idea was to cast two powerhouse performers opposite each other. “I wanted Om Puri to play the lawyer and have a clash with Amrish Puri’s character. There would be some courtroom drama,” he shared.

However, the plan fell through after discussions between the producers and Om Puri did not work out.

Sunny Deol’s “Tareekh pe tareekh” scene was pure courtroom drama.

He added, “For some reason, maybe about the price, the producer and Om Puri didn’t work things out. So we were thinking what to do next.”

It was then that the makers considered approaching Sunny Deol. Santoshi recalled that after the success of Ghayal, he had been looking to collaborate with Sunny again on an intense project.

“After Ghayal, I wanted to do something intense with Sunny. Then I thought, let’s take a chance and do it with Sunny Deol,” the director revealed and also added that he was fully aware that Damini was primarily Meenakshi Seshadri’s film, with Sunny playing a strong supporting role. Despite that, the actor agreed without hesitation.

“I knew very well the purpose of the film. Like Ghayal was for Sunny, Damini was for Meenakshi. When I told Sunny his role, he said, ‘I agree to do this role’, ” added Rajkumar Santoshi.

Sunny Deol eventually played advocate Govind, a fearless lawyer who fights for justice alongside Damini, portrayed by Meenakshi Seshadri. His powerful courtroom dialogues, including the iconic “Tarikh pe tarikh,” became a defining moment in Hindi cinema, making Damini one of the most celebrated films of the 1990s.

Decision to keep songs out of the key portions of Damini

In the interview, Rajkumar Santoshi also revealed that the decision to keep songs out of the key portions of Damini was a conscious creative choice, even though it went against the conventions of the 1990s, when most Hindi films featured multiple songs. He recalled that there was significant pressure from producers to add one or two songs, particularly in the second half, but he felt they would only interrupt the narrative.

According to Rajkumar Santoshi, every creative decision had to serve the story, and anything that distracted from it was better left out.

Sunny Deol backed Rajkumar Santoshi’s approach, saying the director always remained honest to the script despite external pressure. He explained that once a film successfully draws viewers into its story, inserting an unnecessary song can break that engagement and dilute the emotional impact. Santoshi added that he is still learning as a filmmaker, but has always believed that staying true to the screenplay is more important than following commercial formulas, a philosophy that shaped some of the most memorable moments in Ghayal, Damini, and Ghatak.

Rajkumar Santoshi shared, “We never planned to include those songs, and that became a big decision for the second half of the film. Back in the ’90s, every musical film had at least eight songs, so there was pressure to include them. We even had discussions about casting Raveena Tandon for a love story, but that never happened. For me, being honest to the script is the most important thing. I’m still a newcomer as a director compared to these veterans, so I’m constantly learning from them.”

He added, “I always stood by what I believed was right. There was a lot of pressure from the production side to add one or two songs, but I kept questioning that decision. I would say, ‘Raj, I don’t think we’re connecting if we force a song here. It really shouldn’t be there.’

Sometimes, even if it’s your own work, adding something that’s unnecessary doesn’t make it better. I’ve always believed it’s your film, your story. Once we become involved, we’re invested in the narrative and the journey of the characters.”

Sunny Deol also added, “If the story is moving forward naturally, it doesn’t need anything extra. The moment you insert something unnecessary, after working so hard to keep the audience engaged, you break that momentum. Then you have to rebuild it all over again, which dilutes the impact. That’s why we decided there wouldn’t be a song.”

Kamal Hassan was offered Ghatak

Rajkumar Santoshi revealed that Kamal Haasan was originally approached for Ghatak because he had always been a huge admirer of the veteran actor. Recalling the initial discussions, Santoshi said, “There was this project called Ghatak, and I’m a huge fan of Kamal Haasan, so I spoke to him about it. Then complications began with the pricing because Bharat Shah was our partner, and there was some disagreement between them.”

Sunny Deol in Ghatak

As a result, the collaboration could not materialise. Explaining how Sunny Deol eventually came on board, Santoshi shared that the actor was unwell at the time and was considering other projects, while he himself was working on a romantic film with Madhuri Dixit. “Sunny wasn’t well at that time, and he was planning another movie called Ajay. I was doing a romantic film with Madhuri Dixit. It was totally different, no action, which nobody really did with Sunny back then. That’s why I thought maybe I’d do something with Kamal Haasan, and that’s how the buzz started,” he said. Santoshi added that when the project was revived, he approached Sunny once again. “I said, ‘Sunny, let’s do this film,’ and he immediately said, ‘Yes, we’ll do it.'” That marked the beginning of Ghatak with Sunny Deol in the lead.

Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi new film

Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi share one of Bollywood’s most successful actor-director partnerships, having delivered cult hits like Ghayal (1990), Damini (1993), and Ghatak (1996). Despite their blockbuster track record, the duo did not reunite on a feature film for nearly three decades. That long wait is finally coming to an end with Batwara 1947, a Partition-era drama backed by Aamir Khan Productions. Marking their much-awaited reunion, the film is set to hit theatres on August 14, bringing Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi together on the big screen once again after 30 years.