Abhay Deol with mid-day’s entertainment editor Mayank Shekhar at the latest edition of Sit with Hitlist. Pics/Shadab Khan

Shortly after our conversation, before a live audience, Abhay Deol is scheduled to meet Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, the person he plays in the Netflix series, Trial By Fire — based on the life of a middle-class Delhi couple, who fought the city’s top real-estate developers, post the death of both their children, in the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy.

Which is also when we realize Deol had chosen to consciously stay away from the real-life inspiration for his part, during the process of making the series. Deol is Punjabi by ancestry, unlike Krishnamoorthy, with the most Tamil surname. In fact, Deol has played a Tamilian before this.

That was as the bureaucrat Krishnan, for Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai (2012). In an episode dedicated to Deol’s films, on a podcast named Khabardaar, that I was listening to before meeting the actor, the hosts — shout-out to wonderful ladies, Aparita Bhandari, Baisakhi Roy—make an observation on Deol’s walk onscreen. They believe it is the same in all his films. Except, Shanghai, if you notice the minutiae.

Firstly does he agree, and was that consciously so, I ask Deol: “There are physical characteristics that I suppose you don’t change easily. You’re unaware of them. With Shanghai, that may be true. Not that I consciously worked on my walk, though. I did have to work on my accent. Krishnan is a Tamil Brahmin.”

“And I had to put on a Hindi, like a Tamilian would speak it, which is hard to find. Because no Tamilian really speaks Hindi — they speak to you in English. Also, we don’t have an infrastructure of accent training for actors in our country. So we found this out-of-work Tamilian writer, who I worked with, and developed a system [for it].”

If we must get deeper into this accent thing still, for instance, Deol recalls, “I hope I haven’t mixed up my memory, but I was really working on the phonetics — there is no ‘ha’ sound in Tamil, and there is no ‘ba’. In Tamil, you could pronounce my name closer to ‘Apaay’. Stuff like that was insightful. This is besides mimicking my accent-trainer off-camera — so I would know how he might say my dialogues.”

The ladies of Khabardaar podcast might wanna notice this the next time they watch Shanghai. Krsihnamoorthy in Trial By Fire, Deol points out, is different from Krishnan, because he’s a Tamilian, but essentially from Delhi.

He has what one could call a more neutrally North Indian or ‘Delhi’. Which is also a character Deol has played in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye (OLLO) — another real-life person he obviously didn’t meet, before playing him on screen. Bunty Chor was the local swindler, where would you find him?

OLLO (2008) tragically released in theatres, when the “the firings were still on” during 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. My favourite memory of OLLO is an off-screen one from the film’s BTS video online, where a dog is after Bunty Chor (Deol), who’s jumping off a tall building-gate. Banerjee asks him to turn around for the camera, so the audience knows the lead actor performed this himself, instead of a body-double.

Deol says, “It’s fun doing stunts, as much as I can. I think Dibakar was a bit surprised about how easily I was scaling such a large gate, and he said he wanted people to see it!”

Sticking to Delhi, and characters inspired by actual events/people still, how about Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D (2009). I learnt this much after watching the film that the role was in fact somewhat based on Deol’s own life. Meaning, obsession in love, and indeed experiments with drugs. If true, kindly elaborate?

“Well, I wanted to contemporize the (Sarat Chandra Chatterjee) book, because I felt there was something wrong there — with such a male, patriarchal view of a man-woman relationship, where women are falling over Devdas. No matter what he does, he can never be wrong. I grew up in an environment, where drugs and alcohol were all available.”

“My Chanda (Kalki’s) character was far stronger than what eventually got made into the movie. She was an East European pole-dancing escort, who is fine the way she is — making great money, traveling the world. She takes pity on him (Dev). Obviously it worked for Anurag [that] she was as vulnerable as he [Dev], and she was a victim too. For me, he was the only victim. The women only grew stronger from there.”

Did he know the Polish escort? “I am not going to tell you! I know all sorts of people; let’s just put it that way. Yeah, I know a few escorts ‘n’ all.”

Let’s pause at the movie titles here: Banerjee’s Shanghai, OLLO. Kashyap’s Dev D. Also from a time when both Kashyap and Banerjee were the ‘new-age filmmakers’, early on in their directorial careers. I wonder what Deol thinks of the trajectory they took thereafter.

Frankly, he doesn’t have much to say, besides “conforming to commercial pressure” that becomes inevitable in some cases. He could sense the “creative genius of Banerjee in LSD (2010)”. As for Kashyap, I find it surprising that he hasn’t seen any of his films since Dev D! Not even Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012)? What; did they have a fallout or something, I ask.

“Well, [Kashyap] went in public, and said a lot of lies about me.”

For example? “One lie was that I demanded a [five-star] hotel room [during the shoot of Dev D]. He had actually come up to me and said, ‘Listen you can’t stay with us, you are a Deol. So, I want to put you up in a hotel room.’ He literally told me that. What he told the press was that I demanded it.” The reference here is to Deol’s profile published in Huffington Post (June 5, 2020).

He continues, “So, there was clearly a lot going on at the time, which was not professional. I had my heart on my sleeve, and all that is great — but you get taken advantage of, and then you get reactive. So, he [Kashyap] was a good lesson for me. Then I just avoided him, because I don’t need toxic people in my life. Life is too short, and there is so much more to explore. But he (Kashyap) is definitely a liar, and a toxic person. And I would warn people [about] him.”

This outburst is evidently in response to Kashyap’s quote about Deol in the Huffington Post report. Deol adds later, “I don’t look in the past. When Anurag said that crap about me in public, he sent me ‘apology’ messages.”

“He does that all the time. He was like, ‘You want to shout at me, scream at me…’ And I was like, ‘I don’t care. It’s been 12 years. You don’t feature in my thoughts even now; get over it.’ He said, ‘Forgive me, because I have had a bad day.’”

“I said you are forgiven. I never had a personal agenda. It was far bigger than just me. That is how I feel about everything. How much of this is he going to do? And I would have never taken his name and said the things, had he not gone public [either].” 

Raking this up is important only because lead actors, or stars, have always been the medium to tell stories on screen — even if in the off-stream space, so to say. And by the mid Noughties, Deol was at the centre, if not the pioneer, of a movement of sorts, within Bollywood—picking up young, untested directors to star in their scripts/films, on a leap of faith, first. 

“The first five movies of mine were all by first-time directors,” he recalls. Let’s pause again to name these debutants: Imtiaz Ali (Socha Na Tha), Shivam Nair (Ahista Ahista), Reema Kagti (Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd), Sanjay Khanduri (Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local), Navdeep Singh (Manorama Six Feet Under).

These are also films that got defined as Hindi commercial cinema, merging with an entertaining art-house — ‘H-indies,’ if you like. At least a couple of the directors did fairly well for themselves — after that firm footing in the film industry.

I can see why it’s got Deol a li’l pissed off now that I want him to dwell on what he thinks of their careers as well — he did like Ali’s Jab We Met, more than Rockstar, which in turn was still outside Ali’s usual “love-triangle zone”, and therefore a step-up: “Why am I commenting on all this — [is that] what the show/conversation is about?” Of course not.

I guess what we’re getting at is an oft repeated jibe that a lot of these directors — take Ali, for example, who got his debut due to Deol — never worked with him thereafter. Is that a fair observation, with anything deeper to it?

“And Anurag used to say, this is why directors [don’t work with me]… I know a lot of actors don’t want to work with him. But I see what you mean. Or where you are coming from. I did sense this feeling [later towards me]: ‘You know, you are not big enough!’”

“Which is ironic, because when I worked with them, neither were they! You either believe in someone, or a vision — even if it goes against the norm. Or you can say, I will keep my vision, but I will acquire bigger powers [to execute it]. Because I will get more money, I suppose. Also, I was taking a lot of it on myself, and I know I made mistakes. I am searching for answers to give you, and I hate making it about me, when it’s about somebody else.”

Consider the career graph. In terms of box-office plus cult-grade, Zoya Akhtar’s multi-starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) is possibly Deol’s high point. A string of seriously superb films right before, and after. And then there is s sharp slump 2013 onwards, almost a freefall. 

He’s had a release almost every year. So he’s very much been around since. The films/series are, again, by mostly first-time directors, or fresh talents, at any rate; experimental in their own right. 

You can have your views on, say, One By Two (2014), Happy Bhaag Jayegi (2016), Nanu Ki Jaanu (2018), Chopsticks (2019), What Are The Odds (2019)… Good or bad is a subjective take anyway. But you know, none of them are really, well, did he lose his mojo, how do I put it….

“It’s just a fact. You don’t have to justify [your question],” Deol comes to my rescue. As for the kind of work that comes your way, he says, “Everything is [a] collective [call]. And I don’t like talking about it, because I don’t want to come across sounding bitter, or a victim. I don’t care. But when you take a stand, then you take a stand. And that has consequences. Are you ready to face those consequences?”

Exactly what stand, for example, could do someone in? “I don’t know. Calling out people for endorsing fairness creams?” Would that mean those who endorse fairness creams would debar you right away? 

“It is not as simple as that. I did a guest appearance in Shah Rukh’s Zero, and he is a really dignified man. But there is a collective [thing that happens]. Say, showing up with a black eye on a red carpet, and calling out Bhushan Kumar by name, and saying T-Series blah, blah. Or constantly saying, why do we only have song and dance [in our films]…”

Deol has been equally vocal, in public, about critiquing his own films, with misplaced intentions — whether that be Aisha (2010), or Raanjhanaa (2013). Surely that’s hardly mastering the art of winning friends and influencing people. But you can tell—frankly, he doesn’t give a damn. And that’s what makes him more fun than the current crop of polite suckers for boring heroes. 

Also some of his criticisms could emanate from ideas he wished to champion, but found no takers, around that time. Navdeep Singh’s Basra famously got shelved. As did a zombie comedy called Rock The Shaadi, after shoot. I fish out an old video of him consulting a tarot card reader, in Simi Garewal’s TV show — to check if one of his dream projects would come true. 

Deol remembers it was an international film, with debutant filmmakers from abroad, who nobody wanted to put money on. They still haven’t made the film, and he had to stop trying eventually. 

“So yeah, post 2013, it was tough. I also took a backseat. Now I don’t want to go back and pretend like nothing ever happened, or be a different person — so, I am going to sit back, and see what comes my way. And quietly work. If that works, it works. If it doesn’t, so be it!”

As for the so-called song and dance, Deol says it’s not like he has an issue with the genre: “At least three ideas of mine are full of songs. One of them was Dev D (18 numbers in the soundtrack).” 

The film was a major winner at the box-office, for its budget. Deol remembers, “Especially after Oye Lucky and Dev D, I had a red-carpet entry to whoever I wanted to work with. And this is not just because I had successes behind me. Also because I was so-and-so’s son, nephew, brother…” 

Which puts him in a strange ‘middle’, in the nepotism debate, that is usually conflated to the ‘elite versus masses’ battle, pitched in the wider political/public space. Deol’s “anger and rebellion” within the family itself, he says, was his reaction to fame and its pitfalls. Something he had watched closely, growing up. Left to him, it appears, he’d rather be anonymous, but remain an actor — obviously a misnomer. 

“I was born an insider, but I pretty much lived as an outsider,” says Deol. That said, his debut film was a joint-family release, from Vijayta Productions — mainly helmed by cousin Sunny, son of Uncle Dharmendra. 

Interested in debutant Ali’s script, he took him to meet Sunny, who was happy to hop onboard the film, since the lead character was a lot like Abhay himself! Such is how Socha Na Tha was born, and two amazing careers took off. Only the film, that released during the low-key “exam-time, March” wasn’t hugely promoted as the proverbial ‘star is born’. Socha Na Tha is hugely loved still. 

Which reminds me, why is the Deol firm named Vijayta in the first place? “On my sister, my cousin — she is younger to Sunny Bhaiya. So, it’s Sunny Deol, Vijeta and Bobby Deol? “No. Then there is [another sister], Ajeita. Then there is Bobby.” 

Abhay’s father, late Ajit Singh Deol (Dharmendra’s brother), I hear, was also an actor. Except I couldn’t quite find a clip online to support this, I tell him. He smiles, “He did two movies, one of which he produced. They were all in the ’70s. One never got made. I remember Honey Aunty, Zoya’s (Akhtar) mum said the cutest thing to me once. That my father is the reason her film didn’t release. I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ She said that he had to hold her face, and he was shivering [through the scene]. She was the leading lady in that film. I didn’t even know it, because I never saw that movie!”

Insider-outsider is anyway a time/generation construct. Many of the outsiders Deol worked with at the beginning of his career are bona-fide insiders now. And maybe that’s what the revolt is about — to eventually get to the high table. The cycle continues.

“You hit success, then it doesn’t matter if you’re insider, or outsider. They all want to work with you. You have to understand it is also very cliquish — you are part of this, or that camp. I had access to all of them, but I was like, no!”

Living in the Deol household, he also had no “Bollywood Juhu gang” friends. Barring his schoolmate, director Vikramaditya Motwane, who wasn’t “Bollywood then”!

Everyone goes through their brash 20s — sometimes it lasts longer — “You wanna change the world!” I asked Deol what he thinks of, when he looks back at that decade, after which it appears, the world changes you, one way or the other!

Some of the things he says he’s learnt is being diplomatic —“also, not equating power and money, with corruption — that needn’t always be the case. Money is like energy, and it is something that you know you can make good use of — when you have a lot of it. I could do things a little smarter, to not be taken advantage of, or be gas-lit.

“Human condition is complex. Everything we have spoken about today are not black and white. You would think you’ve heard it all. There was a lot left out. Also, I am really lucky. I know I did create lot of trouble, but it was all intended for the right purpose. And I created change. People still refer to films I did 10-15 years ago.”

Which is true, once you glance at his filmography until 2013, starting 2005 — those who were born that year turn into adults in 2023, when we’re making this conversation with Deol, 46.

Also, in the intervening years, so much has changed with films itself: “The disruption we were looking at got brought in by technology itself.” So the ‘multiplex movie’ became ‘OTT content’.

Also, the Bollywood indie started hitting Rs 100 crore collections, with the likes of Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao. Deol was the OG ‘OTT star’, even before there were streamers: “I am not done yet. Maybe what I did was 20 years ahead [of its time]. Those 20 years have come!” Only the intentions may not be matching the outcomes for some time.

And then you watch Deol in Prashant Nair’s Trial By Fire on Netflix — a performance so subconsciously chilled, yet powerful. Without once making an unnecessary show of it. The series on the Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy is still about subtle and solid story-telling, that therefore makes the leads, the stars. Fair to say: welcome back, Abhay.

Abhay Deol and Rajshri Deshpande in Trial By Fire, which is based on the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy

Abhay Deol calls out lobby culture and award functions in the film industry; says he’s glad that more actors are speaking out now
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 24, 2020)

One look at Abhay Deol’s Instagram feed and you’d notice the actor has been revisiting his earlier films — Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local, Manorama Six Feet Under (both 2007), Dev D, Road (both 2009) — and sharing a story behind them, with the hashtag #makingwhatbollywouldnt.

“I felt this was a good way to bring attention to these movies. Being non-formulaic, they didn’t have enough funds for marketing or a big release. So, not a lot of people are aware of them. I believe they’re good and that they’d be entertaining even today” he tells us.

Elaborating on the hashtag, he adds, “The ones I selected for this particular hashtag are the ones that were the most difficult to make and even tougher to release.”

However, it’s his recent post on Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD; 2011) that garnered the maximum traction, where Deol called out “covert and overt ways in which people in the industry lobby against you”.

“This was clearly an overt example. They didn’t even bother hiding their bias, something that they normally take efforts to do,” he says, adding, “Lobby culture has been prevalent for decades. No one thinks about standing up, or bothering to do anything. They’re all ready to conform, which is why they know that they can get away with it. The reason I can say this is because I grew up in a film family and I’ve heard of these games. As a kid, I saw through other people’s experiences, and now, I’ve seen it myself.”

Given that Deol’s post comes in wake of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, after which many are slamming nepotism and lobbying culture in the film industry, he admits that Rajput’s death shook him up and got him thinking.

“Sushant’s death definitely sort of pushed me to speak up a little bit. But, this isn’t my first time speaking up. In the past, I’ve taken on the biggest. I’m sorry it took someone’s death to wake everybody up. But I’m glad that people have taken note and they want to be heard. What’s good today is that actors are speaking out. I had become quiet because I didn’t want to be the only one screaming. I alone couldn’t have brought about the change we need.”

He shares many commented on his post saying ‘Oh, you’re waking up now’, and he tells them he had put his career on the line from day one. “I focus on my privileges. I have a family, great friends, I have work, I’m acting, producing, working in two countries. I found my path,” he says.

In his post, Deol also called out award functions for they “demoted me and Farhan (Akhtar) from main leads to supporting actors”. But he says, he wasn’t surprised.

“It was a disappointment. By the time ZNMD came out, I was trying to be less idealistic, and more of a realist. Very rarely I had gone to these award functions. I was coming around to see the industry’s point of view and suddenly, this was a hard reminder of the systemic corruption that exists in the industry. Positioning was based on market value of the artiste not on the structure of the plot of the movie. And the shocking thing is that it was all accepted because that’s the way the industry functions,” he asserts.
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CAN NEPOTISM AND LOBBY CULTURE AFFECT ONE’S MENTAL HEALTH?
It’s a highly competitive space where people are insecure and you’ll often hear them say, ‘your failure is my success’. So, people planting false stories about you, paid-for reviews being negative, gas-lighting you within the industry to sabotage you, robbing you of a nomination or a win at an award show — these are some of the ways in which it happens. Now, imagine a person with a mental illness being thrown in this toxic environment. For sure, it would take a toll. They’re, after all, more vulnerable.

Sanskrita Bharadwaj (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 24, 2020)

Actor Abhay Deol has been in Goa during the lockdown, and doing “great”. He says, “I cycle, swim, and I’m completing my house in Goa; lockdown has slowed things on that front. And I’m developing two scripts, I have three films in post production, and taking online classes in subjects that interest me. I lay in the sun everyday so I can keep a nice tan, and thankful for the privilege to be able to do so.”

The 44-year-old chooses to be away from the limelight stating “Popular actors with big banners behind them get tremendous coverage.” But, adds that since he keeps a “low profile” and follows an unconventional path, “People believe that I’m choosy or reclusive. Truth is I cannot participate in this hyper capitalism that the industry pushes upon us.”

Commenting on the current state of affairs due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, Deol says, “I don’t think we can or should go back to normal. It will take a while, I’m hoping it will be by the end of the year but you can’t really say. We need to rethink the way we structure our society, cities, businesses, and prioritise providing for the poor while investing in green technologies to create new jobs. This calamity is also an opportunity. History proves that such outbreaks will happen unless we take drastic measures.”

An optimist at heart, he adds, “This pause has given the planet breathing space. It’s brought to people’s attention the dangers of unchecked capitalism. It shows that we are all connected, even if we make our own fake borders.”

Actor Abhay Deol on the inevitability of love, and the necessity of reducing our carbon footprints in this world
Nona Walia (TIMES LIFE; May 19, 2019)

You are a minimalist. Did that involve changing a lot in your life?
I don’t buy a lot of clothes; I use them until they cannot be used anymore. I don’t have multiple cars, I cycle whenever and wherever I can. That bit is not possible in Mumbai though.

How important is it to be an eco-warrior and live consciously?
It’s important for all of us to do something to protect Earth. Being a public figure, my voice can carry much further than the average person. That’s me taking advantage of what I have. But everyone has advantages and disadvantages. It’s time for everyone to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t.

Recently, I built a house in Goa that is rather grand, and it occurred to me that I hadn’t considered the impact of climate change. Out of guilt I started to look for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of my house. I already have rain water harvesting on site. I am going to install solar panels, compost my wet waste, recycle the dry, planted vegetables on site, and I’m putting up a natural filtration pool. When I am filming, I carry glass bottles and fill them with filtered water instead of using plastic ones. I don’t buy colas or use plastic bags.

From divesting in companies that pollute, to fitting my house with green technologies – solar power, composting, rain water harvesting, growing my own vegetables, I continue to search for green technologies and encourage others to do the same wherever they can. It’s our choices today that will affect our environment and our lives tomorrow.

What’s the private side of you like?
The private side of me wouldn’t be so private if I spoke about it on a public platform. But I can say this much, with me what you see is what you get – on and off screen.

How important are relationships in your life?
Our lives are built upon relationships... unless you are a hermit. I treat people the way I expect to be treated. I’m extremely loyal and forgiving and look for the same in others. The people you surround yourself with define you and your outlook to life. Love to me is... something that cannot and should not be controlled.

How do you deal with heartbreak?
Pretty well if I should say so myself! I wasn’t always like that but you live and learn (hopefully!). Nothing is permanent and if you understand that then you cannot get hurt – only more enlightened. Anything and everything can be used to better yourself.

What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned?
That you are always learning. Never think that you know it all.

A turning point in your life…
There’s a turn around every corner. I actively look for them as it makes the road more interesting and more fun to navigate. Once you see the turns, you are constantly evolving and moving. Why relegate it to just one instant?

Define happiness
Being thankful for what I have in the moment.

How can one remain softhearted and compassionate in a tough world?
By not attaching yourself to the highs and lows, by seeing everything as transient. Happiness and sadness are two sides of the same coin. I am privileged to have experienced both.

What do challenges signify to you?
Growth.

How do you conquer the darkness of the mind?
By recognising that it is just the absence of light. And there is light everywhere. All you must do is open your eyes.

Your spiritual quotient…
I don’t need a quotient when it comes to being spiritual. We all are every moment of every day. All we need to do is accept it.

How do you handle social media (praise, criticism and controversies)?
There is no risk if you accept it all in the same spirit – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

PERSONAL SPACE

“I LOVE ANYTHING OUTDOORS”
Fitness regimen: I mix it up. Weights, yoga, swimming, running. I have started meditation too. Recently, I pushed myself too much and have caused an injury. My focus at the moment is on healing and it has highlighted the importance of striking a balance. I love cycling and swimming. Anything outdoors.

“DO YOU WANT A LIFE OR A GREAT LIFE?”
Beyond physical health: Fitness isn’t so much about looking good... it’s about feeling good. It has an impact on your mind and as a result, has a direct relationship with your life. It can be the difference between having a life and having a great life. It’s important to sleep early and wake up early for your mental awareness. A routine is a must for the complete experience.

“I AVOID GLUTEN”
Diet regimen: I make sure I eat both fruits and vegetables. I eat meat for proteins. I don’t measure my food and I don’t eat packaged meals – only freshly cooked ones. I eat a bit of sweet too in the day. I avoid gluten whenever I can and limit my intake of dairy.

“I WOULDN’T HAVE SURVIVED A 9-5 JOB”
Work-life balance: I am fortunate to be in a job that goes from project to project. I wouldn’t have survived a 9-to-5 life. I avoid shooting more than two films back to back and take time out in between each project. I don’t take my work home, and switch off when I’m not on set. I rarely watch movies since I make them and have interests in other things. I travel a lot, especially to countries where I’m unknown so that I live like a regular average guy, not being treated like a celebrity.

“NEVER WORSHIP ANYONE ELSE BUT NATURE”
Your personal mantra: Read, be curious, practise what you preach, don’t judge too soon, have empathy, never worship anyone else but nature, be conscious of your environment, travel, love, experiment, make mistakes, have compassion, learn to forgive, lose control, don’t be afraid, make your own path and have your own ideals. And yes, question everything!

Abhay Deol, who is heating up Instagram, talks to us about his home production, The Odds, and why he's finally in a happy space
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; April 28, 2019)

He may be the least flamboyant of all the Deols, but Abhay Deol has a charm that cinemagoers have always loved. Be it as the dysfunctional Dev in Dev D, the straightforward Arjun in Aisha, or the simple and sorted Kabir in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Deol has always brought a genuine quality to the characters he plays. You relate, you believe, you feel for him. These days, as he spends his time between LA, Goa and Mumbai, he is busy working and looking delicious on social media. His home production, The Odds, featured at the closing gala of the Los Angeles Film Festival, and his beach selfies are making everyone wonder, what is Deol up to? He spoke to us from LA. Edited excerpts.

We hear you have been dividing your time between Goa, LA and Mumbai. What relationship do you share with each of these cities?
Mumbai is where my work, friends and family are - it is the city I was born in and will always be where I came from. Goa is my new home, a place for rest and recuperation. LA is also home, as I have family here as well and friends. It is an inspiring place, where I have grown tremendously. Each one has been instrumental in my growth as an individual, they have taught me different lessons in life and continue to do so.

Tell us about The Odds.
It is a show about two kids out and about in the city and their time together. It is magic realism, it is surreal, it is unapologetically funny, it is an unexpected surprise to come out of India.

You have around five films that are ready for release. How would you describe the direction your acting career has taken, keeping these projects in mind?
The five projects I currently have couldn't be more different from each other. They are a mix of foreign and Indian productions. JL-50 is a sci-fi Canadian film set in Kolkata about a CBI detective who goes back in time to solve a crime; Line Of Decent is an American drama based on the land mafia in Delhi; The Odds is my own production with FilmKaravan Originals; Jungle Cry is a British production based on a true story about tribal kids from India, who went and won the under-14 rugby championship in the UK in 2007; and Chopsticks is the first Netflix original film to come out of India.

How have you evolved as an actor in the last few years?
I am more satisfied with where and who I am. I see it as a state of being, and I am thankful every day for the privilege of being this way. My acting is a constantly changing process, just like life. I am less affected by negativity and more absorbed by the positivity. I am more forgiving of myself and others and the world is my playground. I don't feel anger as much as I feel compassion.

With the digital revolution, actors like you have the opportunity to do roles that don't fit the mould of the 'hero', not that you ever played to that notion.
Yes, I was doing what the digital platforms are doing right from the start of my career. I have sacrificed instead of compromising. The digital space does not have the physical limits that cinema has. There are no boundaries, no borders, and it will constantly need content to survive.

You went through a trying time personally a few years ago. Haruki Murakami says, "When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in." How would you describe the person you are today?
We all go through ups and downs, but I don't stagnate for too long in one place. I am constantly moving. In a country like ours, wrecked with poverty and hunger, it is selfish to complain. I've led a privileged existence, I have a loving family, friends for life, I've taken a stand and done exactly as I've wanted to do in life. I focused on the positives when I was down and slowly, I felt selfish for being there. The beauty of it was that I was immediately catapulted to tremendous highs and I understood that to be high you have to start low. After that, I was thankful for even the lows as I needed them to be where I am today.

Your Instagram game is completely on point, and the hot beach pictures have been making the ladies drool. How does that adulation feel?
Ha, ha, thank you. Adulation is always welcome. At first, I saw social media as a necessary evil, but like with everything else, I looked for the positives in it. I can connect directly to my audience, clarify a misquote, bring awareness, talk about the things I want to talk about, market myself and those I want to. It's important not to get addicted to it, as the saying goes, you cannot have too much of a good thing. Everything in moderation!

Abhay Deol on his next, which is inspired by World Cup win of India’s Under-14 rugby team and features him as coach Rudraksha Jena
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 26, 2019)

On Friday, Abhay Deol posted a picture on Instagram with the caption, “Some mornings be like! Just one of them days ya know?” and appended it with the hashtag #tired and #overworked. Turns out the actor has just wrapped up his next film, Jungle Cry, after a hectic shoot. The real-life story of Rudraksha Jena and the historic win of the Under-14 rugby team of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences’ (KISS) in 2007, was filmed in Wales and London during November and December. Emily Shah, former Miss New Jersey (2014) who assisted on Captain America 2, Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys and Fast & Furious 7, plays a physiotherapist and Abhay’s leading lady.

The actor’s character is modelled on the Indian coach, Rudraksha, and he admits that rugby isn’t a common sport in India. “What makes the win even more impressive is that these kids were football players who had just four months to learn rugby and still managed to lift the World Cup in the UK. This is an underdog story of success and that’s what made it attractive to me,” he says.

Abhay admits that while he was familiar with rugby, he didn’t follow the sport closely and underwent training for months before the film went on the floors. He is quick to add that his trials were nothing compared to what the kids went through. “While shooting in rainy Wales in five degrees temperature, I could wear my jacket over my tracks and root them on, screaming, ‘Come on boys, run and jump,’ while they were shivering in their shorts,” he reminisces. “But be it Emily or Sagar Ballary (director), everyone was heart-warmingly earnest because we were all inspired by the story. This is a story we all wanted the world to know.”

Quiz him on his encounter with his real-life counterpart and Abhay says he was really motivated by the work Rudraksha has been doing. “We also have British footballer Paul Walsh and Dr Achyuta Samanta, who runs KISS, on board. All these guys live to better the lives of others. Paul has his own outfit in Kolkata that trains street kids who rarely get an opportunity to showcase their talent. Sports is an opportunity that comes out of poverty in many parts of the world and I respect these guys for creating a future for these boys,” Abhay asserts.

Associate producer Shabbir Boxwala informs that the film is currently in post-production. “We plan to enter it for the Cannes Film Festival in March,” he informs.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 3, 2018)

His choice of films is a clear indication that Abhay Deol is not your cookie-cutter Hindi film hero. As he returns to the big screen two years after Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016) with the horror comedy Nanu Ki Jaanu, the actor says he doesn’t feel the pressure to play by the industry’s rules. Not surprising then that he hasn’t featured in a masala potboiler in his 13-year-long career or been a part of the rat race. “I am not the industry norm anyway,” he reasons.

Deol sparked a nationwide outrage last year when he slammed Bollywood stars for endorsing skin lightening creams in a country that is unfortunately obsessed with fair skin. Often in the spotlight for his outspoken nature, the actor says it’s the only way he knows to be. “I am not doing it because I want to be cool. I don’t even like attention. I am trying to be true to the work that I want to do and be allowed to make the choices that I want to make. To get there, we have to take stands. There’s a risk of being judged, but that’s a price I am ready to pay.”

He is quick to admit that his call-a-spade-a-spade attitude has adversely affected him. “It does burn bridges. There have to be consequences to actions, and there has been to mine. There has been backlash, but I don’t hang around it enough to experience it.”

Juggling his Tamil debut Idhu Vedhalam Sollum Kadhai and the international production The Field, Deol says his projects may be unconventional but they essentially push the envelope. He says, “At the risk of sounding arrogant, I have a sense of script and that’s my biggest strength.”

Actor returns after a two-year hiatus with new genres, international collaborations and a Tamil film in which he plays King Vikramaditya
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 30, 2018)

In the past, every time you’ve disappeared from the screen, you have come back having honed your talent or learnt a new skill. So, what have you been up to in the two years since Happy Bhaag Jayegi?
This time my energies were focused essentially on work. Acting, producing, developing scripts and setting up a distribution space take time. Just finishing five–six movies took about a year. Now, Nanu Ki Jaanu is up for release, The Field is into post production and almost complete and JL-50 has just around six days of work left.

You’re returning after a two-year hiatus with a horror-comedy?
It was a bit of a challenge because the two genres don’t mix since you can’t laugh and be scared at the same time. But at the end of the day, it’s a pure entertainer, an extremely funny and family-friendly film which is sure to connect with a large audience. For me, it was an enjoyable and inclusive process because it reunited me with Manu Rishi Chadha who is a really talented actor-writer and the director, Faraz Haider, was the first AD on my 2008 National Award-wining black comedy, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! He was the guy in the paan-beedi shop in the last scene who tells me I look familiar and I respond saying, “TV par dekha hoga.”

Have you ever had a supernatural encounter?
Never, but I live my life knowing there are things I don’t know of and that leaves me open to every possibility. There are those who claim to have seen ghosts. Who am I to say if they are lying or are delusional? Maybe some are, maybe some aren’t.

We have been reading that you’re in the Happy sequel but unsure whether it’s an extended cameo or a full-fledged role?
I’m equally confused because I’ve been reading this too but the makers haven’t been in touch with me so I know as much as you do. If they came to me, I’d be happy to be a part of it. I like director Mudassar’s (Aziz) work and Aanand (producer Aanand L Rai) is a friend and a fab director. I’m doing a cameo in his Zero. I didn’t have too many days of shoot but it was nice working with Shah Rukh (Khan), a thorough professional, and Katrina (Kaif) whom I’ve known since the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara days.

Every time we meet Aanand, he says he needs to give you a full-fledged role that will do complete justice to your talent. When is that happening?
Ask Aanand. After hearing him say this for two years, I’ve told him to stop else I won’t take him seriously. That upset him a bit but I assured him that I will always love him with or without a great role.

Playing a CBI officer in a sci-fi, another unexplored genre for Hindi cinema, must be interesting?
JL-50 is not a big-budget, superhero- with-weapons-drawn drama but a hi-content sci-fi. The makers are Indian by birth but settled in Canada. You don’t get to be a part of too many films that originate in one country but are shot in another country in another language. The makers of this one speak Hindi and understand our culture but, as Canadians, they can make movies we Indians can’t and get a lot of support in terms of subsidies, distribution network and suchlike.

The Field is also an international production…
That’s a bi-lingual American production, 70 percent Hindi and 30 percent English, on Indian issues, and filmed in India.

How different was it shooting for American, Canadian and Indian productions?
No real difference because actors and filmmakers across the world are similar as they are dealing with similar issues and working in the same space towards the same goal. Different cultures but professionally alike.

And how different was it working in a Tamil film, Idhu Vedhalam Sollum Kadhai (IVSK) after playing a Tam-Brahm in Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai?
I repeat, filmmakers are filmmakers across the border, only their style, approach to work and the kind of movies they want to make differ. IVSK is an action-adventure, graphic novelesque pulp fiction that debutant director Rathindran Prasad has written himself. It’s wonderful to be a part of someone’s passion project and bring his vision to the screen. Yes, I had to speak Tamil — ancient Tamil — but Rati would laugh, that for me any Tamil was Greek and Latin.

Was playing King Vikramaditya a departure from your cool onscreen yuppies?
I know, often when you’re dealing with an ancient scenario, the writing is over-the-top but this one is very contemporary in its treatment so I didn’t have to deliver my lines dramatically. This film was in my space and I could play it real.

For someone who knows the craft so well, why don’t you dabble in writing and direction?
After Dev D, I am developing another script but I’m not sure if I will direct it. Just because I understand the craft, can act and am involved in other aspects of filmmaking doesn’t mean that I can direct too. I must feel the desire to do so. It all comes down to, ‘Is there a story to tell?’ If there is, I’ll jump into it. For now, I’m happy acquiring films and documentaries and trying to create an audience for them. When I was making Dev D, Ek Chalis Ki Last Local, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! multiplexes were mushrooming and suddenly there was space for other cinema. But then the expansion stopped and in an industry which is more oriented towards business rather than creativity, I felt the lack of support and space, and with the advent of digital platforms, decided to encourage talented makers to take chances.

When do you start distributing mainstream films?
That’s too big a space for me. There are far too many people there already. As an actor, I do mainstream and indie films already. (Smiles) You should know your aces and weaknesses.

Indians love playing the matchmaker and there are many out there wondering about your shaadi…
(Laughs) Maybe not in real life but you will see me in a lot of shaadi-type movies. Three such scripts have come my way already. As long as I’m not married, I guess I’ll continue to get such ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ projects.

As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 16, 2017)

Abhay Deol on Bollywood’s affinity for slapstick, the supernatural love story he has signed on, and why the term ‘smaller films’ is offensive
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 23, 2017)

You’ve described Faraz Haider’s Nanu Ki Jaanu, which you just started shooting for, as a dark comedy. Given how selective you are, what got the nod from you?
Nanu Ki Jaanu is a supernatural love story as well as a dark comedy. Dark comedy is rare in Bollywood because for too long, we have been fed a formula of slapstick and stereotypes. I enjoy them because it’s one of the toughest things to bring humour into a dramatic situation. I enjoy walking on the edge.

Any favourites in the genre?
There are many directors I admire who work primarily in this genre— Stanley Kubrick, Terry Gilliam, Coen Bros and Tim Burton to name a few.

You are working with Patralekhaa for the first time. Have you seen any of her earlier films, including Citylights and Love Games?
I haven’t seen either of them, but I am looking forward to work with her. She has a great look and has received a lot of critical acclaim for her performances. We haven’t shot together yet, but I’m eagerly waiting for our first day together. We will be shooting the film in Noida and Delhi. It will be completed by the end of October.

What’s happening with Shailender Vyas’ JL-50 and Rohit Batra’s The Field?
Both are in post-production at the moment. What’s interesting about these two films is that while one is a Canadian production and the other American, they are both in Hindi. The Field is partly in English as it also has international actors. JL-50 is a sci-fi film, while The Field is a drama, but neither conform to the Bollywood formula. I guess that’s because they have been made by those outside the Indian film industry.

What was the experience of shooting The Field like?
Every film goes into your memory bank, some memories are good and some are bad. The Field is a good memory. It has an ensemble cast drawn from different parts of the world and some very talented actors. The director was inspired by Brian De Palma and that approach in our cinema has turned out to be unique.

Will you be seen in the sequel to Mudassar Aziz’s romcom Happy Bhag Jayegi, titled Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, which opened last year? Producer Aanand L Rai has announced that he will be taking the franchise forward.
Your guess is as good as mine! I’ve read reports of me doing a cameo in it, but the makers have not told me anything yet. But it’s Aanand Rai and Mudassar and for them, I’d be happy to do it if they ask.

Have you seen Aanand L Rai’s recently released Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhoomi Pednekar starrer Shubh Mangal Savdhan, which focuses on the problem of erectile dysfunction? Would you be open to doing a sex comedy like that?
I would do a sex comedy if I liked the script. Honestly, I’m happy doing all genres, my next four films are all from different genres. I’m having fun going from one set to another, from one approach to another. Variety is the spice of life.

Any recent films you have watched and enjoyed?
I haven’t had the time to watch anything in the last six months. The last film I saw was Lion, which I thoroughly enjoyed, particularly Dev Patel’s work.

What’s been keeping you busy?
My Tamil film IVSK (Idhu Vedhalam Sollum Kathai), which I have produced and done a cameo in is in post-production. IVSK is the second film I have produced after One By Two and I have enjoyed the experience both times. I don’t have any plans to direct yet, but I’m busy reading scripts and getting distribution for non-formula films on the OTT platforms.

This year, a number of small, off-beat films like Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Hindi Medium and Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya have fared well at the boxoffice. Must be heart-warming for you since you have always promoted smaller films?
I don’t promote “smaller films”. The industry and the media label them “small” because they define “big” and “small” according to the budget. Most of those films have been much bigger than most formula films in their ambition and ideas. This year has shown us “big” films with a “small” vision, and “small” films that have been “big” on vision.