‘I’m thankful God heard my prayers’
Bobby Deol talks about choosing grey roles in his career’s second stint and the ‘best actor award’ he recently won
Bobby Deol first entered the film industry as a child artist in the 1977flick, Dharmveer. Then, when he first entered Bollywood as an adult actor with Barsaat in 1995, he started off as a “chocolate boy” in romantic roles. Incidentally, the chocolate boy role in Barsaat had even brought him a “Best Debutant” award that year.
Now years later, in his second stint in the industry, Bobby has recently been awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Award for Best Actor (Web Series), for his performance in the web series Aashram. Even as he makes heads turn playing grey shades with such panache, we speak with Bobby to understand his evolution as an actor.
Excerpts from the interview: Q
How does it feel have won the Best Debutant award at the start of your adult life in the industry and now the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film
Festival Awards?
I was in the hospital then, and the awards committee came to the hospital to hand over the award. It felt great. I didn’t know how to receive it as I was recovering from some ailment back then. Now, getting an award of such a huge stature, the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award in the said category and that, at this juncture of my life… well, it feels great to be appreciated.
When I got to do Aashram, I was just wishing that people would appreciate my work and that filmmakers chose me to perform varied characters. I am happy that my hard work was recognised. And I promise to work harder to keep up the good work and to be able to entertain my fans.
Q
When you started your Bollywood stint as an adult, you chose roles of a chocolate-boy and romantic young lad. Tell us about your transformation in this second innings, specifically
“Negative roles are very exciting as you get to show so many shades. And I believe grey shades have a different aura around them.So, characters with grey shades become very intriguing.”
-Bobby Deol,
about turning negative roles.
towards
My criteria is not whether a grey-shade character does well. It’s all about the script and the definition of the character. The more defined the characters are the more they will draw the attention of the audiences. In Aashram, all the characters were loved by the audiences because every character was written very well. This is what made them loveable and relatable.
As for performing negative roles they are very exciting as you get to show so many shades. And I believe grey shades have a different aura around them. So, characters with grey shades become very intriguing.
Q
Do you believe this change in the roles and characters you are now playing is designed by the Almighty?
It’s not in God’s hands; everything is in our own hands. Of course, God is watching you, sharing his blessings with you.
I am not doing only negative characters, for in my show Class ’83, I did a positive character. People liked me in that as they saw me in a different light, as an actor. It was only later that I got to do Aashram. So people saw me in two different characters and were happy that I was doing varied
actor
roles to entertain my fans.
I believe in God, have always prayed to God that I should get work. I am thankful God heard my prayers. You have to work hard and you get that energy if you keep God in your prayers always.
Q
Is there an Aashram Season 2? When will the shooting begin?
The shooting for Aashram Season 2 is to start by the end of March, in Ayodhya and Bhopal. We expect it to continue until April, hoping that the show premieres before the end of the next year. However, the script is being readied even as we speak, so I don’t know what exactly Nirala Baba, my character, is up to in this season. I will try to give my best. My future films: For the moment, I’m doing a film titled Love Hostel, which was announced in December 2020. The shooting for the film will happen in Bhopal.