A mid the whirlwind of emotions, actor Bobby Deol finds himself in a unique place — one that not many actors experience in their lifetimes. Having traversed the peaks and troughs of stardom, he reflects on the overwhelming response to his latest release, Animal, leaving him almost speechless and in tears. A video of him getting teary-eyed while exiting a theatre in Mumbai went viral recently. “I cannot understand how to process this. As an actor, you are always waiting for that moment when you get recognition; it is like a dream. God has been kind,” he tells us.

The 54-year-old further states, “Imagine you waited for an opportunity in your life to happen; it’s been long. And you have been working hard too. Anyone in my place would break down. The passion I have for my work, the love I have for my industry... I cried because I waited for this (recognition) for so long.”

Deol’s character, Abrar, is shown on screen for only 15 minutes in the movie, which spans almost three and a half hours, but right from his entry to the ending or the climax, the audience has shown immense admiration for Deol.

The actor, who goes on to credit director Sandeep Reddy Vanga for transforming his career trajectory, says, “I was at my home when I got a message from Sandeep. I wasn’t sure it was him, so I asked my manager to check. When I called him, he wanted to meet and then showed me a picture from my cricket league days, when I wasn’t working at all. I couldn’t believe that an out-of-job picture got me work. He is a genius. I knew I only had to shoot for 15 days, and I was mute on top of that!”

While Animal has seen considerable success at the box office, it has also sparked varied reactions among audiences. Addressing the polarizing opinions, especially regarding themes like toxic masculinity, Deol says, “I am not out there promoting anything. I am just an actor trying to entertain.”