After facing a career slump in the late 2010s, Bobby Deol staged a remarkable comeback with Prakash Jha’s 2020 series ‘Aashram’. The idea of playing a spiritual leader would have seemed unlikely during his peak years in the late ’90s and early 2000s, when he enjoyed A-list status. Today, Bobby has reinvented himself as a compelling villain, with performances in ‘Animal’ (2023), ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ (2025), and upcoming films like ‘Alpha’ and ‘Jana Nayagan’.
Why was Bobby Deol hesitant about ‘Bandar ’?
When Anurag Kashyap offered him the crime thriller ‘Bandar,’ Bobby felt the film might be a step too far in terms of experimentation. He was initially reluctant to take on the lead role of a washed-up television actor accused of rape by his ex-girlfriend. He sought his family’s opinion, and they were equally taken aback, as the role seemed unusually dark for someone like Bobby. It was his late father, the legendary Dharmendra, who ultimately pushed him to take the plunge. Dharmendra recalled how he, too, had faced doubts and skepticism in the 1960s when he chose to explore unconventional films at the height of his stardom.
How did Dharmendra guide Bobby Deol’s decision?
According to SCREEN, Bobby was initially slightly hesitant about whether he could pull off the ‘Bandar’ role. The late veteran actor, Dharmendra told him actors can’t be shy, “Even I have done non-mainstream roles in Satyakam, Anupama, and Dillagi. Go take a chance’
Bobby Deol trusted Dharmendra’s unconventional legacy
Those words convinced Bobby to move ahead and accept the role. He leaned on his father’s experience, as Dharmendra himself had embraced unconventional films such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s ‘Anupama’ (1966) and ‘Satyakam’ (1969), along with Basu Chatterjee’s lesser-known 1978 romantic comedy ‘Dillagi’, where he starred opposite his future wife, Hema Malini.
Bobby Deol’s emotional tribute to Dharmendra
Bobby’s admiration for ‘Dharmendra’ was on full display when he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his late father at the Chetak Screen Awards last month. “He worked in this industry for so many years, he saw both good and bad times, but never gave up. Wherever I go and whoever I meet, I receive so much love because my father opened people’s hearts for us — for me, my brother (Sunny Deol), and our family,” said an emotional Bobby.