Sunny Deol has solidified his status as a Bollywood powerhouse in the latest chapter of his career. After the massive success of ‘Gadar 2’, the actor returned to cinemas last month with ‘Jaat’, and that film has also turned out to be a moderate success at the box office, reaffirming his enduring ability to draw audiences to theatres.

Next on Deol’s slate is ‘Lahore 1947’, a historical drama directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan under his banner, Aamir Khan Films. The principal photography of the film was wrapped up in September last year, yet it has no sign of release. PeepingMoon.com has found that the project still has around 10 days of shooting remaining. Several key sequences are required to be reshot to elevate the visual intensity of the story. The makers had earlier planned to film those scenes in December but they had to be postponed due to Deol’s packed schedule. With ‘Jaat’ now released, the production team has started coordinating with Deol’s team again to finalize shooting schedules and wrap the remaining portions.

Aamir’s meticulous involvement in the project is also believed to have contributed to the delay. While Aamir is reportedly committed to ensuring every aspect of the film meets his standards, this perfectionist approach has led to mounting frustration. “Deol is eager to release ‘Lahore 1947’, but Aamir’s focus on perfecting every aspect is slowing progress,” an industry source revealed. Moreover, Aamir is presently fully focused on ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ and has put his production ventures in the backseat for the time being, which further delays Deol’s film.

Geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan may pose additional challenges as ‘Lahore 1947’ explores themes of communal harmony — an increasingly sensitive subject given the current sociopolitical climate. Set during the 1947 partition, ‘Lahore 1947’ is based on Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play ‘Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya, O Jamyai Nai’. The narrative follows a Muslim family which migrates from Lucknow to Lahore, where they are allotted a haveli previously occupied by a Hindu family. Tensions arise when they encounter an elderly Hindu woman still residing in the property.

Apart from ‘Lahore 1947’, Deol has several more high-profile projects lined up. He is currently shooting for Anurag Singh’s much-awaited ‘Border 2’, and on completing it, he will commence filming Nitesh Tiwari's ‘Ramayana’, where he plays the role of Lord Hanuman. The actor also has Shashank Udapurkar’s family drama, ‘Safar’, which sees him in an avatar far removed from his macho image. The latter is scheduled to release in the second half of this year on an OTT platform.