DEEPAK HAS OFFENDED MANY PEOPLE; HERE’S HOW
Declining offers and being choosy about the roles he accepts has made actor Deepak Dobriyal rub many people the wrong way
There was a flood of offers, but I didn’t take up any of them. People got offended by this... ‘Kya samajh raha hai apne aap ko’, but I didn’t get affected. People don’t understand that they are offering the same kind of roles to me again and again.
DEEPAK DOBRIYAL ACTOR
My very first scene was with Saif sir. I was so scared that I was shaking. While I was growing up in Germany, I used to watch Saif in Kal Ho Na Ho.
ELNAAZ NOUROUZI
ACTOR
Aname to be reckoned with among character actors, Deepak Dobriyal says that ever since he played the role of Rajjan Tiwari in Vishal Bhardwaj’s critically-acclaimed film Omkara (2006), it has been a smooth ride in terms of getting film offers.
“After Omkara, the whole scenario changed — even the way people looked at me. A lot of avenues opened up. But I didn’t work for a year after that,” says the actor who made his debut with Maqbool (2003), also helmed by Bhardwaj. Deepak went on to feature in films such as Dabangg 2 (2012), Hindi Medium (2017), Kaalakaandi, and Baaghi 2,
“There was a flood of offers, but I didn’t take up any of them. At that time, so much was happening and going on in my mind. So, I wanted to get that out, and then take a decision. Earlier, there was a pressure that I have to prove myself, especially to my parents, who became relaxed after that film. That was a big thing for me,” says Deepak.
In fact, since the actor didn’t have hands-on knowledge of how the industry works, he got off on the wrong foot with many people. “I was offered some lead roles too, but I rejected them,” says the actor, who is also popular for his character Pappi in the Tanu Weds Manu franchise. “People got offended by this... ‘Kya samajh raha hai apne aap ko’, but I didn’t get affected,” he explains.
Wasn’t he worried that his career might suffer due to his choosy approach? Deepak replies, “People don’t understand that they are offering the same kind of roles to me again and again. If funny roles are a hit, then I get only such roles; if I play hero’s friend in a film, then only that [in a row]. Some didn’t pay well earlier, including the big banners. They thought, ‘Bas naye bande ko lelo’. Initially, I would react to such things, but then I decided to hire a manager who now says yes or no on my behalf. He negotiates for everything.”