Why Gadar’s Director Chose Sunny Deol Over Dilip Kumar & Dharmendra | Ft. Anil Sharma | UT EP148

The story behind the making of Gadar! Join us for Episode 148 of Unfolding Talents (UT) as we sit down with the immensely talented director Anil Sharma for a special podcast episode. He is best known for his work on iconic films such as Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Gadar 2, Vanvaas, Genius, Veer, Singh Saab The Great, Apne, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, and The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. In this episode, Anil Sharma opens up about the journey behind the iconic film Gadar. He reveals how the legendary handpump scene was shot and explains that initially, no one was convinced by the script—but his belief in the story made it happen. While sharing the background of the film, he also talks about shooting in Firozpur, where scenes were filmed with a massive crowd of nearly 50,000 people. Anil Sharma also reveals that he was once planning a film titled Kashmir with Dilip Kumar and Dharmendra. The film had a subplot that Anil felt deserved its own space, which eventually became Gadar. He shares how he later met Dilip Kumar to explain why he could not proceed with Kashmir, as his mind was completely focused on the concept of Gadar. The conversation then moves to his much-loved film Apne, starring Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Shilpa Shetty. Anil Sharma shares how an action filmmaker ended up creating a classic family drama and recalls the unforgettable moment when he first met Dharmendra and ran straight up to him to speak. In the latter part of the episode, Anil Sharma reflects on his flop films, the mistakes he believes he made, and also praises the latest release Dhurandhar. He further shares his experiences of working with legendary artists like Gulzar and Sajid-Wajid. This episode is packed with honest reflections, behind-the-scenes stories, and memorable anecdotes—making it a must-watch for cinema lovers. Subscribe To Our Digital Commentary Podcast Channel For More Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7Ts5bAA7vConNzJfOKzbA Watch Unfolding Talents On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLku_RIQ2rWc-1S1RJ8S2ntn7-zXPvlBdU Follow Us On: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalcommentary/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitalcommentary/ X: https://twitter.com/DigCommentary Follow Our Guest: Anil Sharma: https://www.instagram.com/anilsharma_dir? Follow Our Host : Bibhu Nandan Singh: https://www.instagram.com/bibhu_nandan_singh/ Chapters: 00:00 – Precap 02:03 – Intro & the Logic Behind Gadar’s Iconic Handpump Scene 04:31 – The Handpump Scene Callback in Gadar 2 05:45 – How the Massive Crowd Was Arranged in Gadar 10:36 – How Gadar Was Born from an Unmade Film Titled Kashmir 13:35 – Why No One Was Convinced About Gadar Initially 18:44 – How Anand Bakshi Gave His Last Song to My Film 23:10 – The Story Behind the Making of Apne 28:05 – My First Meeting with Dharmendra 34:03 – Mistakes I Made in My Flop Films 39:16 – Why All My Villains Were Larger Than Life 40:40 – Anil Sharma on Dhurandhar 41:54 – My Experience Working with Gulzar Saab 43:08 – My Experience Working with Sajid–Wajid 44:44 – How I Got the Idea of Making Gadar 2 48:33 – Outro About Digital Commentary: We are the non-fiction wing of KathaVersse Media Network, bringing you engaging chat shows, podcasts, and travel shows on a wide range of topics, including cinema, web shows, pop culture, sports, and everything in between. Tune in for fresh, insightful content delivered directly to your screens. For collaborations and other queries please reach out to us at [email protected] #AnilSharma #Gadar #SunnyDeol #Dharmendra #Gadar2 #BollywoodPodcast #DigitalCommentary #FilmMaking #UnfoldingTalents #GadarHandpumpScene #Apne #BobbyDeol #IndianCinema