Four years after Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, Bobby Deol will be seen as a Hindi Teacher in Poster Boys which also stars big brother Sunny Deol, and Shreyas Talpade in lead. The actor while interacting with us revealed how he fought his inner demons in the last few years and how is now looking forward to start a new journey in this industry.
Deol has no issues in taking up character roles till the time they have some amount of meat but is not intending to sign solo hero projects as the dynamics of business have massively changed. Being the youngest from the Deol family, Bobby believes that it is essential to have his own identity in the industry, which he has managed to create in last two decades.
In an interview while promoting Poster Boys, Bobby Deol spoke about the film, his journey in Bollywood and lot more.
Excerpts:
Do you think after Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, this was the best film for you to team up with Sunny Deol again?
Yes, definitely. We would not have done this film, if we were not excited about the subject. It is very different from any characters I have played in my life. It was really exciting because the subject in itself is very different and challenging. I was surprised when I was offered this film because whenever I have done a film like this, I have always been a rich guy with a lot of glamour, but this is totally different. I am playing a small time school teacher who is married. I had to speak ‘Shudh Hindi’ for this film and even do workshops to learn that. We worked for like 10-15 days on the ‘Shudh Hindi’.”
What are the factors that you and Sunny Deol keep in mind while deciding on doing a film together?
It is not that we choose roles where one will outshine other. We prefer to choose characters that audience would relate with and when I read Apne, I felt it was a story of every household where there was a father – son conflict. It was such an emotional film. Yamla Pagla Deewana on other hand was a comedy film where all characters had a lot of graph. As far as this film is concerned, all three characters are important and I would call it a character driven film. People have this image about Sunny Deol being an action hero, but here he is doing something different. I think audience will like him in this avatar. (sic)
The Deols in a still from Poster Boys
What keeps you going in an industry where the fate of an actor changes every Friday?
When I started my career, I just wanted to work and get the basics right. I just wanted to keep working and never gauged myself as to if I am a star or not. I just wanted to be loved by my audience and I see that love even today. Even though I have not worked for four years, there are so many fans who are still there and that gives me the strength to work more. Some people said that I had become choosy about work, but the fact is that people have become choosy about me. That’s what has happened in the last four – five years but that has made me a positive person. I am sure I look more positive because of which I look nicer. There is an energy in me which had diminished because I was fighting my own demons. It’s a tough profession as there is so much competition. I am prepared and I just wanted to do good work. I am looking for more character driven roles as characters have a lot of substance.
Also Read: Interview: Sunny Deol: Big actresses don’t work with me, Sridevi and Aishwarya Rai refused my films
You have done quite a lot of negative roles in your career….
(Cuts in) After Soldier, I was supposed to play negative lead in Ajnabee, but the image came in my way. They (Abbas-Mustan) said no, you are someone who can’t be negative and then they gave Akshay that role. Then I did Humraaz where again I was made that loving sincere husband. Again, I didn’t get to play the negative role. Then they made a film with me in negative role, but it wasn’t as great a script and hence it didn’t work. That was Naqaab. I couldn’t argue with Abbas-Mustan as they are friends.
You have acted in quite a lot of hit films, but the media has been not so kind….
(Cuts in) I have never done my PR and in-fact I never had a PR. In today’s time, PR is very important as you need to keep selling yourself. I always thought, work should speak for you, but it’s not like that, especially in today’s time. That charm of being a star in not as amazing as it used to be earlier. Now you can see stars at the drop of your hat, you can see them stand next to you. There was this whole enigma around stars which has diminished. But, you have to move with time.
Bobby Deol
Do you regret not hiring a PR?
I do feel that I should have hired a PR and I have regrets about that but you can’t live on regrets. You have to move forward. I created a Twitter account recently because there were many fake Bobby Deols and that’s not funny at all. If the trolls had balls, why don’t they put their name and talk about me? That’s the most cowardly thing to do. What have I done to them? They are destroying my name. It isn’t cool to laugh on someone’s bad. Definitely social media has helped in a lot of ways, but 90% of it is only filled with trolls. I created an account called @TheDeol because I didn’t get @BobbyDeol. I don’t like to have opinions because I have no right to have an opinion on life of other people. We live in a democracy but that’s doesn’t mean we can pull others down. I will talk about my films and put some pictures, but I am not someone to talk on all issues.
Also Read: Bobby Deol on his DJing controversy and being duped by Imtiaz Ali
Any other regrets?
One thing I regret is I wish I could have got more films to work with Daddy (Dharmendra). But that’s okay, I am still working with him. He is one of my inspirations and the fire in him today is stronger than what it was when he started his career. He wants to work even today despite being 82 years old. His health is never in control, but he still wants to work.
How difficult it is to be from a filmy family and leave a mark in this industry?
You can’t think about all those things. You have to make your own achievements and that is what makes you successful. You have to create your own legacy and I don’t think that ever affected me. When I started my career, I left a mark in my own way. You can’t help if you are born in a family with two great actors. You can’t change that and you can’t let that bring you down.
Yamla Pagla Deewana 3
Which are the films of Dharmendra that you love the most?
I love Satyakam a lot, but I also love so many other films of him. I love Pratigya, Phool Aur Patthar, Mera Gaon Mera Desh. Actually speaking, Sholay was a copy of Mera Gaon Mera Desh, and that’s amazing. Mera Gaon Mera Desh was the last film I saw with my grand mother and it will always have a special place in my heart. Then there is Haqeeqat and but obvious Chupke Chupke.
Also Read: Bobby Deol: Yamla Pagla Deewana 3 will release next year; Dharmendra has an amazing role in the film
Bobby Deol will next be seen in Poster Boys which is slated to release on September 8.
