A lot has been written about Abhay Deol’s life, from his love affairs to his professional relationships with people in the industry. But the actor has never come forward to confirm or deny anything. That’s because he values his privacy and doesn’t want to be disturbed by murmurs.

“All my career, I haven’t really invested in PR or tried to create an image. I make films, and then I come to market those films. In the beginning, I wouldn’t even market the films because I felt the makers should be at the centre of attention, not an actor,” says Abhay, whose latest web film, Jungle Cry, was finally released earlier this month on a web platform.

The 46-year-old goes on that being a star comes with the sacrifice of personal family, something he is not ready to do. “Fame as a beast can overpower you and take away everything... Suddenly, you don’t have a personal life anymore, because you have mixed it with your professional life. I made a conscious effort to let people believe what they wanted to believe. As long as I have my privacy, they can say whatever they want.”

Talking about work, we ask him if he is concerned about the delay in the release of Jungle Cry, given that it was completed in 2019. “It’s my 17th year in the industry, so I don’t get frustrated when there are delays, not because I’m done with it and have moved on. But because I come from an experience that has taught me to be patient,” Deol ends.