Family comes first

Being from a filmy family, Bobby Deol didn’t have a hard time establishing himself in Bollywood.

On a visit to the City recently, he talked to Metrolife about acting, movies and his soon-to-be-released movie Yamla Pagla Deewana 2.

Most of Bobby’s films are thrillers or suspense-filled. Why? “When an actor’s film in a particular genre does well, he’s often offered roles in the same genre. As an actor, I want to do every possible genre. I enjoy thrillers – whether books or movies.”

Bobby’s favourite movie is Conspiracy Theory. He adds, “Actors are always looking for new things. This is why they often tend to become involved with their own production houses since there is room for exploration there. I would love to do an emotional film, like a great drama.”

On Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, Bobby says, “It’s always good to work with dad (Dharmendra) and bhaiya (Sunny Deol). It’s the most comfortable zone to be in.” Recollecting good moments on the set, Bobby says, “We were outside the country for three months.”

He reminisces, “Birmingham and Leicester, where a major part of the shoot happened, used to get colder by the day and the team had to wear layers of clothing.
There were about 100 people on the sets and there were birthdays every week, and cake-cutting.

Each of these birthdays had their own special moments and the traditional cake-smashing.”

Bobby recollects, “Seeing my nephew trying to understand the different departments of film-making on the sets was a unique experience. And on bhaiya’s birthday, it was surprising to see him get on the stage and rap. My brother could just not stop crying. It was a very sweet moment.”

Bobby says that Sunny’s more like a father figure to him. “He’s given up on bossing me though, since it’s like a father-son relationship.” He laughs and adds, “You know how that is, the son never listens to the father. Eventually, the father gives up.”

So does Bobby love sports? “I love cricket. The CCL is about celebrities having fun and spectators getting a chance to see their favourite celebrity on the pitch. Somehow, that concept seems to have disappeared. The teams are concentrating more on winning. It’s really not about winning, it’s more about the audience watching those on screen live in action.”

What’s Bobby’s pastime? “I have a lot of time with me since I don’t do a lot of movies. I love being with my kids and my nephews. I love watching TV shows and playing badminton and squash.”