The Journeyman, Abhay Deol

Abhay Deol has always taken the road less travelled: From moving out of a sprawling bungalow into a one-bedroom apartment, to taking a risk with every new film. Defying the fact that he is the youngest in a family that has given the industry three ‘macho’ heroes, Abhay is out to carve a niche for himself

When Socha Na Tha was in production, life was a struggle for Abhay Deol. “It was a period of severe angst, frustration, anger, and every other negative emotion possible,” he says, talking about the three-year period.

Four years and five films later, the struggle continues. “At that time it was about getting the film released, then the struggle was to get more films; now it’s about being able to pick the good ones and ensure they reach a wide audience,” says Abhay.

Life could have been very different for the youngest Deol. Born to Ajit Singh, the younger brother of veteran superstar Dharmendra, Abhay grew up in a family of cinematic achievers.

His cousins, Sunny and Bobby, had both successfully made their mark on the industry as actors, and Abhay’s entry — although not keenly anticipated — was looked forward to with some interest by the film fraternity.

With an uncle and two elder brothers, who were very much a part of the typical ‘Bollywood’ set-up, all Abhay had to do was follow in their footsteps. Instead, he chose to start his career with an off-beat romantic film made by first-time director, Imtiaz Ali, and follow it up with some more innovative films.  

“Everytime I start a movie, I get warnings on how the film will not work. And when they don’t, I get the ‘I-told-you-so’ line. But I don’t care! I don’t have to follow the route others follow. I have my own goals,” says Abhay.

Socha Na Tha was a disaster at the box office. Although Abhay received some encouraging reviews for his acting skills, he was criticised for his hairstyle and appearance, and brushed off as a ‘weak’ Deol. Many predicted the end was near.

When Ahista Ahista released, the critics were unanimous in their acceptance of Abhay as an actor who was ‘here to stay’. In the meantime, Socha Na Tha made its debut on the small screen and endeared itself to an audience who never gave the film a shot in cinemas.

Imtiaz Ali’s fresh screenplay and Abhay’s ‘confused young boy’ act made the film a hit on TV. “Even when it seemed like Socha Na Tha was taking forever to be completed, there were offers to do other big banner films, which I refused. I was very clear that I wanted Socha Na Tha to be my first release. I had full trust in Imtiaz’s ability.”

A few months later, Abhay got his first hit with Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd. The tide was turning. With people having only good things to say about him, it was a time to capitalise and sign some big films.

Abhay did exactly the opposite. He continued acting with first-time directors who had a different story to tell. So if Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local was a one-night tale about what transpires after a man misses the last train back home, Manorama Six Feet Under was about a struggling detective novelist sucked into a real-life detective drama.

Ek Chaalis… was an average grosser, while Manorama was a commercial failure.

However, like in other Abhay Deol films, there was never any paucity of praise. The writing was clear — Abhay Deol’s films may not set the cash registers ringing, but they were good films.

“People in the industry always talk of commerce. I get a lot of offers from big producers to do three-hero films. Most of these are ‘proposals’ — money-making initiatives — and usually lifted from a Hollywood comedy, like Three Men And A Baby. Even I want my films to make money, but that can’t be the only driving factor na,” says Abhay, quick to point out that he did the multi-starrer Honeymoon Travels… because he had a substantial role to play.

“I have to bring something to every film I do. It’s not like I’m looking to hog the limelight or anything. In fact, I believe a film needs a lot of people to come together, for it to work. There are many at play — cinematographers, editors, writers — that make the final product possible. As an actor, I enter the set-up merely as a tool to convey a story to an audience. I believe that we are all part of a jigsaw puzzle, who need to merge for it to be completed,” says Abhay whose next film, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is his first by a director who has made a film before.

“It is comforting to know that director Dibakar Banerjee has delivered a hit before. But more importantly the film, Khosla Ka Ghosla, was a film to be proud of,” says Abhay who has Anurag ‘No Smoking’ Kashyap’s Dev. D to follow. He is happy that he needn’t worry, for a change, about marketing these films. “This is the first time that a big production house — UTV Spotboy Films — is backing the project. I can relax knowing that they will give the films a good release. My career depends on their performance. The launch of my production company, Forbidden Films, depends on it.”

Ask him if the banner’s name was an obvious one, and he grins, “What to do now? All my films have charted unexplored territory. I want to continue that trend with my banner too. As an actor, my work is confined to approving a story, coming to the sets on time, delivering what my director wants, and then leaving it to the marketing guys to take over. However, you need a good product to market, and as a producer, I’ll look to get just that — a good product.”

As with his films, Abhay continues to break tradition, even at home. Having spent his childhood in the family’s sprawling Juhu bungalow, with six cousins and other family members, Abhay moved out a few years ago. “Living alone in Los Angeles — where I did a course in Theatre and Fine Arts — got me used to an independent lifestyle.

When I returned, all my family would have wanted was for me to live with them, but I told them I wanted to move out. They were like, ‘It’s okay to live in a big family you know, it’s part of our culture’. But eventually they were at peace with my decision and happy that I would be living in the same locality. The bungalow is just a few steps away and I drop in every now and then.”

Abhay admits that his choice of films did worry his family, initially. “That’s just because they were scared. They all know the inner workings of the industry. Every time I did something that was out-of-the-box, they were apprehensive.”

But there’s one person Abhay has always found an ally in — whether it is to do with his choice of films or the way he leads his life — his uncle, Dharmendra. “Believe it or not, he is my biggest support. Every time he sees my films, he is ecstatic. He then tells the others in the family: ‘Leave the boy alone, he knows what he’s doing’. Nothing is more encouraging than that,” he says happily.
g_aniruddha@dnaindia.net