Bobby Deol talks about recreating father Dharmendra's iconic avatar in Housefull 4
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 19, 2019)

Thrilled to join the comedy franchise, Bobby Deol says Housefull 4 holds a special place in his filmography for a reason — the Diwali release, in its typical cheeky humour, sees him play Dharam Putra, a character inspired by father Dharmendra's iconic part in Dharam Veer (1977).

"My character resembles my father's [part] in terms of the outfit and the character's name but the intention was not to emulate or copy him. The franchise is known to pay tribute to many memorable characters. Here, I enjoyed playing a comic version of Dharam Veer," says Deol.

Coincidentally, the actor made his first on-screen appearance in the 1977 actioner — he played the young Dharmendra. "I was five when the film was being shot. My father wanted a child actor who looked like him. He casually asked me if I'd like to play the part, and I immediately agreed. I had only one scene, but even today, I feel proud to have worked with Manmohan Desai [director]."

The ensemble comedy sees him reunite with friend and frequent collaborator Akshay Kumar after eight years. "Akshay and Riteish [Deshmukh] have brilliant comic timing that elevates the film."