Bobby Deol: Relied on alcohol when I was out of work

Bobby Deol talks about the Hindi film industry, how he relied on alcohol when he was at home for four years

Bobby Deol started with a bang in Bollywood with Barsaat in 1995 and went on to do successful films like Gupt, Soldier, Ajnabee, and Humraaz. There came a slump in his career in the latter half of the 2000s when his films began to see critical panning and commercial failure. In 2013, after the release of Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, he didn't see any release till 2017 and it was only after 2018 that he was back in action with films like Race 3 and Housefull 4.

The 50-year-old actor, who's the son of Bollywood icon Dharmendra, recently opened up on what exactly went through his mind and how he dealt with this time, he revealed all in a recent interview. Speaking to Pinkvilla, he said, "I was getting offers and they were not great films. I chose a certain kind of films. They didn't do well and they kept pushing me backwards in my career. I just gave up one day. When I started, there was no PR and it was all just kicking in slowly. I didn't have a clue about it and soon enough, despite giving hit films, I saw that I was being replaced with other new faces. Yes, I wasn't getting work so I thought my career has ended, how will I be an earning member of my family. So it is important to have that fear."

The actor added, "While I was doing these films, I got into alcohol which is the worst thing you can do to yourself. My family looked at me with such sadness in their eyes. They were all worried and felt when will Bobby come out of it? My kids kept asking my wife, "Why doesn't papa go out to work?" And that suddenly snapped me out of it. Then, I started meeting producers but they couldn't see the hunger in me. It was then that Salman (Khan) who I lovingly call mamu had given a piece of advice. He said, 'I climbed on your brother (Sunny) and Sanjay Dutt's shoulders during my bad phase. You also need to do films with another actor'. So, I took it seriously and told me let me climb on yours, then."

Also Read: Bobby Deol: A Surname Can't Let You Thrive In Film Industry For 25 Years

Last week, in an interview, Bobby Deol had spoken on the nepotism debate saying mere family background can never let an actor survive in the cut-throat world of films. Speaking to Filmfare, the actor said, "I'm quite troubled as to why this topic should be blown up in such a manner. I know one thing, if you are a star son, you get the first chance easily. That's the easy part. After that, you're on your own. If you aren't good no one can build your career for you. And nepotism can be seen in every field. The child of a doctor wants to become a doctor, a businessman wants his son to join him in business. Similarly, an actor's son dreams of becoming an actor. At one point in life, I had no work at all. If only nepotism was at play here, I should never have been out of work."

The actor in the interview also talked about the bonding he shared with his father, and how it affected his relationship with his children. "When we were growing up, papa was working hard. So we didn't spend much time with him. I used to go with him for outdoor shootings. People thought and acted in a different way then. The relation between father and children wasn't as smooth then as it's in today's generation. I made it a point to avoid that kind of a distance with my own kids. We have a friendly relationship."

On the work front, Bobby Deol was last seen in Aashram and Class of 83. In Aashram, Deol plays a godman called Baba Nirala who has millions of followers and faithful bhakts who have blind faith in his teachings. Aashram also features Aaditi Pohankar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Anupriya Goenka, and Darshan Kumaar among others.

Class of 83 presents Bobby Deol like the actor has never been presented before. He plays a cop called Dean Vijay Singh, who's struggling with his own demons.

Also Read: Dharmendra: Can't Sit Idle, Will Be Working On Something Interesting Soon

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