'I Might Just Slap Him' Suniel Shetty Initially Rejected Border Due To JP Dutta; Here's Why

Suniel Shetty is returning to the big screen in an action-packed role with the upcoming period epic titled Kesari Veer.

Directed by Prince Dhiman, Kesari Veer also stars Vivek Oberoi, Sooraj Pancholi and Akanksha Sharma in the lead roles and ahead of the film’s release on Friday, May 23, Suniel Shetty has been doing promotional interviews.

In one such interview, the actor opened up about his iconic films and recalled how he had initially rejected his 1997 blockbuster Border.

Recalling the reason behind the same, he told Radio Nasha, “I had initially said no to Border because there was a hearsay, JP Dutta was very strict, and if he got upset, he would verbally abuse too. I was hot-tempered too, so he had come to meet me, and I had told him that I would get back. But I told my secretary that I will not be able to do this, because if he ended up verbally abusing me, I might just raise my hand at him because I am as hot-tempered, so I will hit back. I didn’t want to spoil relations with anybody.”

He added, “But JP was so adamant on having me as Bhairav Singh in Border that he connected with Bharat Shah, who knew my mother-in-law. So when the film came through her and she sat me down and explained, I agreed, and kept a condition that if he abused, I would walk out of the film then. But then, from the first day JP and I hit it like a house on fire, I genuinely feel that he is one fellow who cast me in his films even in my worst phase. He never saw the commercial aspects of my films; that’s what you call a true friend.”

Suniel Shetty further reflected on many decisions he made in his younger days and said, “I must have missed so many relationships and beautiful people in my life, assuming or hearing something about someone. From then I decided that I would weigh every relationship of mine, and not allow judgment from others to come into my life. Since then, I have seen such a change in my life that it’s unbelievable.”

Suniel Shetty first worked with JP Dutta in Border in 1997 and since then has been a part of almost all of his films — Refugee (2000), LOC Kargil (2003) and Umrao Jaan (2006).

Suniel Shetty was also announced to be a part of JP Dutta’s last directorial Paltan (2018) but he later walked out of the film.

Now, Border 2 is in the making produced by JP Dutta and directed by Anurag Singh. Considering Suniel Shetty’s character died in Border, the actor won’t be a part of the sequel but his son Ahaan Shetty has joined the star cast also featuring Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Sunny Deol reprising his role from the first film.