Veteran actor Dharmendra, who recently passed away at the age of 89 at his Juhu residence, often spoke about the values that shaped his family. He believed that shyness and respect were part of their culture—qualities he saw in Sunny Deol and later in his grandson, Karan Deol. Karan had once recalled being bullied in school simply because he was Sunny Deol’s son.

Karan on his bullying experience

During an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show in 2019, Karan opened up about the difficult moments he faced growing up. While Kapil kept the atmosphere light with his humor, the tone shifted when Karan shared how classmates judged him. He remembered being told in class that he wasn’t capable of anything beyond living off his father’s success.He said,“Actually, it was the reverse. They used to say that you are only good for one thing: signing your father’s check. Other than that, you won’t go anywhere in life.”He added,“The first memory I have of school was when, in first grade, a few older boys surrounded me. One of them lifted me and, in front of everyone, smacked me down. He then asked me, ‘Are you sure you’re Sunny Deol’s son? You can’t even fight back.’ I was so embarrassed.”

Dharmendra’s emotional response

When Dharmendra later heard about what Karan had been through, he felt deep regret. He admitted that if he had known, he would have confronted the boys. He said,“I would have beaten up two or four [boys].”He described how hearing the story caused him deep inner pain and emotionally asked,“Why didn’t he tell me? Where is he now? I’ll go find him.”

The turning point in Karan’s life

In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Karan shared that a school talent competition became a defining moment for him. He had spent nights preparing a rap performance, the one skill he felt truly confident in.“On the day, I remember walking up on that stage, and there was a sea of people, with all eyes on me. But I took a deep breath and performed my heart out. All the years of being bullied, ridiculed, and being identified as nothing but ‘Sunny Deol’s son’ came out when I was up on that stage. The audience thoroughly enjoyed it—and roared along, too. I felt liberated, as if I had finally broken free from the shackles. It took time, but that moment changed my life.”