Happy birthday, Bobby Deol: The actor who never fails to surprise his fans
Think of Bobby Deol and one is immediately reminded of his dimpled smile and curly hair from his debut, Barsaat (1995). His charm and performance wooed millions of hearts, making him an overnight sensation. From exploring various genres, to playing protagonists as well as supporting roles, from stardom to downfall to a successful comeback, Deol’s almost three decade-long journey in the industry has been an eventful ride. As he turns 52 today, here’s a look at his career graph:
Romancing his way into everyone’s heart
Deol made his Bollywood debut with Rajkumar Santoshi’s romantic action drama. He charmed us with his expressive eyes and the signature long hair he sported in several films. Other films of his in the genre include Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997) and Kareeb (1998). His bright smile and trendsetting locks made him the poster boy of romance. In an interview last year, reminiscing his 25 yearlong journey, Deol spoke about his tresses becoming a rage and how fans still ask him to grow his locks.
Dabbling into thrillers
Be it Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), Soldier (1998), Ajnabee (2001), Humraaz (2002) or Naqaab (2007), the actor generously explored the genre. From being Sahil Sinha, the son who’s a prime suspect in his father’s murder in Gupt, Vicky Sinha/Raju Malhotra avenging his father’s death in Soldier or Raj Malhotra, framed for a murder in Ajnabee, his performances were received well. While he explored other genres too, he has admitted that his romantic and thriller films were way more successful.
Fall, rise and comeback
There came a point when his career started going downhill. When his efforts of revival fell through, he turned to drinking, Deol admitted in an interview. After being away from the screen for four years, he returned with Shreyas Talpade’s Poster Boys (2017), followed by Race 3 (2018), which made his chiselled physique the talk of the town. The actor, who trained under Salman Khan’s trainer, thanked Khan for his motivation. Deol called the film the turning point in his career.
Taking the web by storm
Always ready for new things, the actor entered the OTT space with Class of ’83. This Atul Sabharwal directorial saw him play a no-nonsense dean, cop Vijay Singh. Then came Prakash Jha’s Aashram, where his portrayal of conman preacher Baba Nirala made everyone sit up and take notice.