IBLA 2023 19th Edition: Gadar actor and BJP MP Sunny Deol named Entertainment Leader of the Year

Actor and Member of Parliament, Sunny Deol was named "Entertainment leader of the Year" at the CNBC-TV18's 19th India Business Leader Awards (IBLA), held in Mumbai on December 2.

Deol was awarded for his contribution to Indian cinema in a career spanning four decades and counting. He made his debut in the 1983 blockbuster Betaab, produced by his father, veteran actor Dharmendra and has gone on to star in numerous blockbuster films across the 1980s and 1990s like Tridev, Dacait, Vishwatma, Damini, Jeet, and the iconic Border, among others.

In 2001, Deol starred in Gadar - Ek Prem Katha, which went on to break several box office records, including emerging as the highest grossing Hindi film after Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994).

Deol contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election on a Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) ticket and defeated sitting MP and then Congress leader Sunil Jakhar by a margin of over 80,000 votes.

After a three-year hiatus, Deol returned to the silver screen with Chup: Revenge of the Artist, which released in 2022 and was directed by R Balki.

With Gadar having acquired a cult following, the film returned with a second installment Gadar 2, which released this year and had a rousing reception at the box office, similar to the first film. Gadar 2 went on to collect over ₹500 crore at the box office, making it one of the highest grossers of the year, along with Shah Rukh Khan's two films - Pathaan and Jawan.

In view of Deol's 40-year long film career and numerous blockbuster successes, the Jury decided to confer upon him, the "Entertainment Leader of the Year" award. CNBC-TV18 celebrates Deol and his dhai kilo ka haath!