'I have always opted for the middle path'

Lonesome star

It was not for the ‘unconventional’ label that I did those roles, but I tried to be myself. And it is easy to do unconventional stuff in Bollywood,” says Abhay Deol, who was recently in the City to promote Chakravyuh with the rest of the star cast. In a candid tete-a-tete with Metrolife, the actor reveals the truth about unconventionality in B-town from (Dev D till Chakravyuh) and draws a parallel between his role as an undercover cop in the film with real life.

“How many unconventional films have you seen? And since when have you seen them?” he questions and replies, “I have been in this industry for seven years and it is only in the last two years that unconventional films have been recognised. Though when I started portraying such roles, they were not the norm but I am happy the way they are going today.”

For Abhay, everything comes in doses of humour. When asked about his joining Prakash Jha’s clan in Chakravyuh, the actor replied in all seriousness, “Prakash Jha kidnapped my family and warned me ki agar maine unki film nahi ki to har ghante me ek lash mere pas pahuncha di jayegi!”

Is it his humour that enables audiences to digest the hard facts delivered by him on screen? “It does help to keep things subtle. If you have a very dramatic twist and if I can put a little bit of humour without taking away from the seriousness of the character or the situation, then may be you will try to get empathy from the audience.”

Does he base his choice of roles on unconventionality? “I have to first accept the role offered. Because if I don’t like it then how can I expect the audiences to like it? If I accept a role otherwise, in that case, I am insulting both the character and the audience.”
“That is why I took up the role of Kabir in Chakravyuh,” he shares and explains, “The plot is really clever and the contemporary issue of Naxalism is dealt well by Prakash Jha. He doesn’t take sides and I love the fact that my character plays an undercover cop in this movie.”

Prakash Jha’s directorial venture is an interesting narrative of friendship between two men – Adil (Arjun Rampal) and Kabir (Abhay Deol) set against the backdrop of Naxalism.
Has he ever got stuck in a similar situation in real life where he had to choose between friendship and the truth? “There have been instances where I have had disputes with my friends but not so dramatically, the way it is shown in the movie.”

What did he decide then? “I have always opted for the middle path so that I can look at both sides but to be honest, in real life, I am slightly towards the left,” he signs off.