Being employed is important but I will not do any kind of film, says Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol is a shining example of a star’s son who fizzled out and then bounced back. His four-year hiatus after Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 in 2013, became the talk of the town, and soon he spilled the beans on what kept him away from the limelight. “If you are not spoken about, you will be forgotten. My wrong choices were the outcome of my attitude. I finally realised that work would not come to my doorstep and I’ve to change my attitude,” he shares.
Bobby’s next release, Housefull 4 — also starring Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Chunky Panday, among others — is a litmus test for the actor who believes that he’s starting his career from scratch. “Being employed is important but that doesn’t mean I will do any kind of film. I feel I am lucky that I’m a part of Housefull 4 as my work will be noticed by youngsters now,” adds the 50-year-old.
But what makes the film special is the reunion with his old friends. “Akshay is always up to some mischief but he has sobered down a lot now. Riteish has a very wicked sense of humour. In our first film together, he played my brother. Back in the day, Akshay and I played cricket on the weekends. And I have known Chunky for years. I was on the sets of his first film Aag Hi Aag (1987), which also starred my dad (Dharmendra),” says Bobby with a smile.
Looking back at the time when he started his career, the actor reminisces, “[Back then] vanity vans were just coming in. Those were simpler days. Being shy, I hardly interacted with the media. I never even had a talent management company handling my work.”
How would he describe Bobby version 2.0? “I am in a better state of mind today both professionally and personally. My kids (Aryaman and Dharam Deol) are growing up and doing well in their education. I know that every step I take, I am not going to lose out on anything, but make something more of my life. I am working hard and trying to do things out of my comfort zone for the new generation that hasn’t seen much of me,” says Bobby, who was seen in films such as Poster Boys (2017), Race 3 and Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se (both 2018).