Deol speaks up about being like and unlike his latest character in the Anurag Kashyap film
Deol speaks up about being like and unlike his latest character in the Anurag Kashyap film
He's presently in New York. He has moved to the city for a few months, and has enrolled himself in all kinds of arts and crafts courses. Weird? For most people, yes. But for Abhay, it's normal.
Back home in Mumbai, his film Dev D has been declared a hit. Finally, his quest to do different kinds of films has been validated with success.
He's happy but he still seems disconnected from it all. Here, he talks about his insecurities, experimenting with drugs and why it isn't important for his woman to be a virgin. Read on...u00a0u00a0
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It was your idea to have a modern interpretation of Devdas, how did that strike you?
Saw SLB's Devdas and always wanted to make a film on the drug culture of Mumbai. I realised that Devdas was more about addiction and obsession than love. I thought might just be a great marketing tool to set it in this day and age, and bridge the generation gap since people young and old already knew the story.
Any similarities between Dev D and Abhay D?
A few. I thought I was in love with this girl when I was a teenager, but as I matured, I realised it was more of an obsession. I experimented with drugs in college but was never addicted. That's it. I would never disrespect my elders, or put my needs before others. I'm not that spoilt.
So you are not 'a slut'?
That's relative. Depends on the company I'm hanging with.
Can you love like Dev?
I am very passionate, to the point where I can forget that the rest of the world exists when I'm around my woman. But Dev is destructive and I like to be creative, so we are opposites in that way.
Are you irreverent like you come across?
(laughs) Is it that obvious?u00a0 I think you have to be, to survive in today's world with your individuality intact.
It's like you're rebelling against something... are you?
Ya, I am a bit of a rebel. My family will tell you that. I've always looked for an explanation for everything and if I don't get one, then I look for my own answers or my own way.
You connect to B-Town is the Deols who have been hardcore commercial, what made you drift away into a niche?
I grew up watching all sorts of films. The thing that put me off most in our films were the song-and-dance sequences, the melodrama, and the generic good vs evil plots. I knew I would not be convincing in such a set-up, so I pursued the kind of roles I felt most passionate about.
Do they approve of the kind of films you do or think you are kooky? Is approval important?
Approval from the ones I love is very important to me. They don't think I'm kooky, they were just worried about me, worried that I would not be accepted or be disillusioned when faced with reality.
In the film, Dev spurns his girlfriend because she isn't a virgin, would it matter to you?
Nope.
Why are you single?
Because I'm enjoying being single. I do go out on dates and if I find a connection with someone, I don't mind committing. But that hasn't happened for a while now. Also work keeps me away for so long its hard to keep a relationship going. But now I'm taking a break and if I end up with a girlfriend, I wouldn't hide her, but I wouldn't go advertise either.
One person you'd turn to when in need for a heart-to-heart?
Well my brother Bobby (Deol) is one. And a friend, someone I went out with but we are not in a relationship anymore.
You have done everything differently when it comes to your career and you have managed to make it work. Is there a secret?
Just a few rules I follow. First, know what you want, second look at yourself objectively and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Also don't kid yourself, and don't let anyone lead you. With that awareness, take a leap of faith.
Isn't Dev D your first hit?
I've heard Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye earned more. Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local was an average earner, Honeymoon Travels was an average hit. I think that's what people said. I stopped asking after Ek Chalis...
Why? A hit allows you to continue doing the films you believe in, no?
Yes and no. It ensures the next project, but that's all.u00a0 I can give it my best shot and pray that people like it and make it a success. What happens if it fails? How should I respond to that? Having gone through failures at the BO made me bitter and insecure but when people who saw it said they loved it, I felt good again. It seems easier to reach out to people than to make big bucks at the BO. I've learnt that in life, I should do the thing I love not for success but for the love of it.
Don't you feel you are missing out by being away when you should be basking in your success here?
I do feel like I am missing out. But again, like I said, I don't work for fame or success. I work because I love making movies. And as much as I'd like to bask in the glory of success, I find myself in the wrong place at the wrong time! I led myself here somehow and now I have to make do without.
Quick threes...
Three directors you'd like to work with?
Sam Mendes, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam.
Three recent films that you liked?
Slumdog Millionaire. That's the only one I've seen in a year. Iu00a0 was working almost everyday of last year, so on my days off, I wanted nothing to do with films.
Three books you cherish
The True Name by Osho, Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, and Lullaby by the same author.
Three things you want to do before you turn 40.
Sky-diving, scuba diving and buying a house.
Three women you'd love to know better.
Charlize Theron, Charlize Theron and Charlize Theron
Three words to describe yourself
I talk crap.
Three things every man must experience...
Love, beauty, peace.
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