A star is reborn: Bobby Deol counts his blessings and his many recent hits

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) It has been 30 years to the day since he made his debut with "Barsaat". Bobby Deol's career has been a rollercoaster ride since, the dizzying highs and terrible lows that could make for a film script all its own, and it is almost as if a star has been reborn -- complete with a new fan base and roles in all shades of grey.

The chocolate box hero, better known as Dharmendra's son when he hit the screens in "Barsaat" opposite another debutante and star kid Twinkle Khanna on October 6, 1995, has evolved into the character actor who grabs attention with his turn as the villain in "Animal", the shady godman in the OTT show "Aashram" and now the suave, complex superstar of "The Ba***ds of Bollywood".

And the star, who talks candidly about his slump when he got no work and was in a "horrible place" in his life, can't be happier.

He has clawed his way back into public reckoning and counts his many blessings -- the constant support of his family, especially his father Dharmendra, and the endless love of fans.

"The love they have given me, it gives me so much energy... without meeting me or without speaking to me. It really is something which no one will ever understand till you go through your bad times and come back. It's the support which comes through the love people give me," the 56-year-old actor told PTI in a Zoom interview.

Is there any advice that he would like to give the young Bobby? "There's no advice because at that age, I had to learn from my own mistakes. I had to go through that whole process of what my journey would be. I mean, you can't tell your young self and explain to them that you should be doing it like this and not like that," he said.

After "Barsaat", which won him the Filmfare award for Best Male Debut, came a series of hits, including "Gupt", "Soldier", "Bichhoo" and "Ajnabee". And then came the phase of consecutive flops.

"In your life, have you ever felt you've lost everything and you have no one who can help you? I think everybody goes through that one moment... that's exactly what I went through. I guess it was a horrible place to be at that point in my life," he said.

Everything looked "very distant, very far away", said the actor, admitting that he had no one else but himself to blame.

"It was all my own doing to give up like that. And once you realise that, and once you get up on your own two feet, because no one can hold your hand and make you walk forward, I decided to start changing things in my life." "Sometimes people don't learn from those moments. And I think that's one of the reasons why I am here today and talking about my 30 years." Acting, Bobby said, had always been his true passion.     "I had no plan then - I just wanted to be an actor. I grew up watching films, watching my father on screen, and somewhere that magic got into my system. My father has given some of the biggest hits in Hindi cinema, and beyond the numbers, he’s been my greatest support.

"When I told him I wanted to act, he didn’t hesitate for a second - he just said, ‘Go for it.’ That belief has stayed with me all these years," Bobby said.

The actor thanks superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan for coming to his aid when he was struggling to find work.     "Both Shah Rukh and Salman have been very kind and generous over the years. I remember Salman offering me one of the biggest films of my career with 'Race 3'. After the film, I thanked him for believing in me, and he said, ‘It was all you - your conviction and your hard work'." It was 2020's "Class of '83", a police thriller that featured Bobby as the dean of a police academy, that marked the beginning of his resurgence. The movie was produced by Shah Rukh's banner Red Chillies Entertainment.

The production company also backed the 2022 crime thriller "Love Hostel", in which Bobby portrayed a ruthless killer relentlessly targeting a young couple, showcasing a darker and more intense side of his acting chops.

And last month came the Netflix series "The Ba***ds of Bollywood", which marks the directorial debut of SRK's son Aryan Khan.

“This is my third project with Red Chillies and it feels really special. Shah Rukh has played an important role in my career, especially when I was rediscovering myself as an actor. I’ll always be grateful for that faith," he said.

The actor said he instantly agreed to be a part of the project when he got a call for the project.

"And when I met Aryan and heard his vision, I understood that feeling — of being young, eager, and wanting to tell stories. My own kids want to be a part of this world too, so I could relate to him immediately. It felt great that they thought of me for Aryan’s debut project." What has also contributed to his stardom are projects like "Aashram" and Sandeep Reddy Vanga's "Animal".

Aamir Khan, he said, was amongst the first people to congratulate him for "Animal".

“Aamir is a sweetheart... A lot of people appreciated my performance, but hearing that warmth from peers I deeply respect — it really meant something," he said.

The second innings has come with its own learnings -- don't take things for granted.

"It is what I learned. That's why I reached where I have reached. You have to respect everything in your life. What is it that I truly love? What is it that I wake up thinking about and go to sleep with on my mind? It's my work. So I think that's one thing I've learned from my bad times." And what does he hope the next 30 years will hold for him? "I just want to be the way I am and I hope I continue. (That) God keeps giving me the strength to fight any kind of battle," he said.

Bobby more exciting roles in his kitty. Up next is Anurag Kashyap's "Bandar", "Alpha" with Alia Bhatt and "Jan Nayagan" with Tamil actor-politician Vijay.

"It's exciting to see what the end of this year holds and how the next one will begin," he said. PTI RB MIN RB MIN MIN