Bobby Deol on playing villain roles: Want to break away from this image

Mumbai: He broke away from his hero image by playing a shady godman in Aashram and later a villain in Animal. Now, Bobby Deol says he is trying to do it once again as he has been flooded with offers for negative characters.

Deol, who also played antagonistic roles in Race 3, Love Hostel and Kanguva, said while it is exciting and challenging to portray villains, he wants to explore new and different roles.

He credits filmmaker Prakash Jha for changing people’s perception of him through the character of Baba Nirala in Aashram. The show recently returned with the second part of its third season.

"It changed my life, people saw me in a different light. They said, 'Oh, Bobby Deol can play an antagonist, or Bobby Deol can be like this or like that.' At that point in my life, no one was ready to believe that I could do that besides Prakashji.

"But now again, I'm getting typecast a lot. I'm trying to break away from this image also. It's not that I want to play the main lead," Deol told PTI in an interview.

The positive reception to his recent performances has been motivating, said the actor, who completes 30 years in the industry this year. He made his acting debut with 1995’s Barsaat, co-starring Twinkle Khanna.

"The characters I’m playing right now are outside my comfort zone. Initially, I felt shy about it because stepping into these roles meant pushing myself and working really hard.

"There’s always a bit of hesitation about how others will react to your work. But when the response is positive, it feels good. Deep down, every human being wants to be told they’re good at what they do. And when you put in the hard work and receive so much love in return, it’s just an amazing feeling." Deol also spoke about the Lord Bobby phenomenon, a humorous way for fans to honor his contribution to Hindi cinema and pop culture.

He acknowledged the love and enthusiasm behind it, appreciating how audiences have supported him over the years.

"They give me that love. And it's very sweet of them to call me a Lord. But it all started in a very trolling manner. And then it became very positive.

"I've been through ups and downs in my career. And once upon a time, I used to be mocked by people. But then they started appreciating my hard work and now people genuinely want me well." Deol also praised OTT platforms for creating opportunities for actors.

"I've reached that age where I am not worried about who's the lead... It's about the character I play. OTT platforms have been a blessing for a lot of actors," he said.

Aashram 3: Part 2 premiered on MX Player on Thursday. The show also stars Aaditi Pohankar, Darshan Kumar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Tushar Pandey, and Anupriya Goenka.