[1] One of the highest grossing actors of Indian cinema,[2] he has worked in more than 90 Hindi films in a career spanning over four decades and is particularly known for his angry action hero persona.

[7] The elder son of actor Dharmendra, Deol made his acting debut opposite newcomer Amrita Singh in the romantic drama Betaab (1983), a major commercial success.

Produced by father Dharmendra and directed by Rahul Rawail, the film follows the story of two young lovers, played by Deol and Amrita Singh, navigating obstacles to their love amidst family conflicts and class divide.

[39] Deol then appeared in Rahul Rawail's Arjun (1985), in which he played the titular role of an unemployed radical youngster, who alongside his group of friends, fights against the system that thrives on corruption and exploitation of the weak.

In the final years of the decade he appeared in subsequent action hits including Dacait (1987), Paap Ki Duniya (1988), Vardi (1988), Yateem (1988) and Tridev (1989).

[64] In Jeet, Deol played a hitman who falls in love with a woman, prompting a dramatic struggle between his criminal past and a yearning for a better future.

In this film, Deol played one of his most iconic characters Kashi Nath, who fights against a ruthless gangster to free his neighbourhood from tyranny and restore peace.

[72] He played a larger than life role of Deva, a hot headed man who takes revenge on the corrupt politicians responsible for his family's suffering.

He followed it up with Border, an epic war film based on the real life events that happened during the Battle of Longewala in 1971, in which Deol played the leading role of decorated Indian Army officer Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri.

The film featured an ensemble cast of Deol, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Tabu, Raakhee, Pooja Bhatt, including others.

[82] His first blockbuster hit in the millennium was 2001 film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, directed by Anil Sharma, in which Deol played the role of a patriotic Indian truck driver, Tara Singh who falls in love with a Muslim girl, Sakeena, in the backdrop of 1947 partition violence, and makes a dramatic trip to Pakistan to get back his beloved.

[96][97] Then, in 2003, Deol teamed up with director Anil Sharma yet again for The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, which also starred Preity Zinta and the debutant Priyanka Chopra.

[100] Derek Elley from Variety wrote about the film and called it "a wildly over-the-top, stridently nationalistic but undeniably entertaining slice of hokum.

"[101] During this phase of his career, Deol avoided traditional action films due to back injuries and experimented with various genres, achieving lackluster success.

[102] In 2004, Deol starred in Lakeer, which featured an ensemble cast including Sunil Shetty, and newcomers Sohail Khan and John Abraham.

[105] However, Deol's unique portrayal sparked a noteworthy trend in the industry, inspiring the creation of comedic movies centered around Sikh protagonists exuding a carefree and jovial persona.

[108][109] Continuing his year, he appeared in the comedic caper Fool N Final, sharing the spotlight with emerging talents Shahid Kapoor and Ayesha Takia.

[131] Deol won the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor (Viewer's Choice) for Gadar 2,[132] while he was also named the GQ India Leading Man of the Year 2023.

[136] Deol announced an action film titled SDGM to be directed by Gopichand Malineni in July 2024, which was later renamed Jaat and will release on 10 April 2025.

[165] The Deol family, though influential and frequently discussed in the media, maintains a low profile by rarely attending social events and keeping their activities private.

[166] Like the rest of the Deol family, Sunny belongs to the Arya Samaj, a modern Hindu reformist movement which relies only on the Vedas, professes monotheism and fights against what it considers to be superstitions, including idolatry.

[188][189] In 2016, Geeta Phogat, the Indian wrestler and Olympic gold medalist, expressed her admiration for Deol, citing him as her favourite actor and how she drew inspiration from his "angry man" portrayals.

[193] In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated India's spirit by tweeting one of Deol's dialogues: "Hindustan Zindabad Tha, Hai, Aur Rahega".

[199] In the Hindi-dubbed version of the cartoon series Oggy and the Cockroaches, the character Jack is voiced by Saurav Chakrabarti, who emulates Deol's distinctive vocal style.

This narrative framework serves as a vehicle for exploring broader societal issues, including the shortcomings of law enforcement, discrimination, exploitation of the marginalised, and pervasive corruption, which are portrayed through the protagonists' struggles and impassioned dialogues delivered by Deol.

Initially conflict-avoidant, they pivot to unfiltered anger when met with opposition, progressing to threats of violence charged with indignation, and ultimately resorting to physical force.

Moreover, he frequently assumes roles of leadership, either of military units, as in Border (1997) and Maa Tujhhe Salaam (2002),[203] or radical vigilante groups evident in films like Arjun (1985), Ghayal (1990), Ziddi (1997) and Big Brother (2007).

[204] In his portrayal of everyday interactions, Deol's characters embody the ideal citizen advocating for truth, honesty, integrity, and patriotism, while exhibiting profound respect for familial and individual values.

[205] Physically, Deol embodies a rugged and muscular physique, distinguished by its lack of hyper-vascular aesthetics and the presence of natural body hair.

Although over the years, this act has been praised as a feat of strength, since Deol had his hands stuffed in his pockets and ripped his jeans all the way down in a fit of anger.