Many planned movie releases were affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. And the movies that came out in March 2020, right before the nationwide lockdown was implemented, were the ones that were most adversely affected. Sadly, that list included Kaamyaab and Angrezi Medium, two films featuring Deepak Dobriyal. The actor admits that he went into depression because of it all.

“Covid ke baad se I was depressed because both my films were pulled from theatres as soon as they were released. Humein audience ke reaction ki aadat lag gayi thi. While [my latest movie] Good Luck Jerry was also not a theatrical release, all the love we received revived the entire team, and we are all very happy,” shares Dobriyal, who is not a stranger to being praised for his onscreen performance.

His comic act in the recently released movie not only tickled the viewers’ funny bone but also fetched him praise from industry stars, including actor Hrithik Roshan, who tweeted: “Such a fun time watching #GoodLuckJerry! It’s light-hearted yet such a heartwarming film. Congratulations to Janhvi & the cast, director Siddhant Sengupta + entire team. A special mention to Deepak Dobriyal — what an amazing actor. Brilliant comic timing and screen presence. Respect.”

“That was amazing and completely unexpected,” gushes the 47-year-old, who played the role of Rinku in the film featuring actor Janhvi Kapoor, adding, “It feels good that people from the industry watch your films, and that too, a big star like him. That tweet gave the entire team a lot of strength, especially me.”

He reiterates that Roshan’s compliment made his “year, not just his day”. “Pyaar aa gaya Hrithik bhai ke liye,” Dobriyal laughs.