Deepak Dobriyal says that he didn’t work for a year after Omkara

With the film Omkara (2006), Deepak

Dobriyal (right) established himself as an actor in Bollywood. After Omkara’s success, Deepak didn’t work for a year.

“The film sent out a clear message that I could act and that was a big relief for me,” he says. Before Omkara, Deepak says that he had been struggling to gain a foothold in Bollywood. “So after it [Omkara] happened, I just wanted to take a breather and relax, and I didn’t work for one complete year,” he adds.

He played the role of Rajan “Rajju” Tiwari, who is madly in love with Dolly (Kareena Kapoor) and would do anything to win her affection.

Deepak says that he owes a lot to director Vishal Bharadwaj. “The younger generation knows me as Pappi bhaiya from Tanu Weds Manu (2013). But people in their thirties and above still know me as Rajju from Omkara. Many people still tell me they loved my character in Omkara,” he says, adding that the film will always remain special to him, and he feels lucky he was part of it.

Deepak feels that the film serves as a benchmark in content and story-telling.

“Omkara proved that you can work with stars when the story is good. You don’t have to go for a typical masala, or an action film when you are working with a star. It created awareness, and so many educated people watched and loved it. The film had an impact on everyone’s mind. That’s why everyone still talks about it today,” he says.