Why Abhay Deol ‘ran away' from the industry when 'Dev D' became big success

Agencies
April 4, 2018

Mumbai, Apr 4: Abhay Deol was determined to create his own identity when he made his debut over a decade ago but coming from a film family, the actor says he was conflicted about fame.

Abhay says people initially expected him to follow in on the footsteps of his uncle Dharmendra and cousin Sunny Deol but he chose alternative cinema over commercial projects to assert his individuality.

"I feel my advantage of coming from a film family is -- having seen fame up close, having seen the industry so close and how it works, I was not enamoured by fame.

"I wasn't looking to be a star, I just happened to love acting, I was a reluctant actor. So I was like how do I manage this without taking in the frenzy of becoming a star," Abhay told PTI in an interview.

Abhay, who made his debut with Imtiaz Ali's "Socha Na Tha", says he remained doubtful about fame even when it came knocking at his door.

The 42-year-old actor says he "ran away" when "Dev D", directed by Anurag Kashyap, became a cult hit as he felt its success would affect him "most likely in a negative way".

"Somewhere it is negative because I should have been around to promote my film and myself. I didn't do that. But do I regret it? No. Because it kept me grounded. Maybe I didn't take the advantage and become a star and get all the brands so that I could solidify my space in the world," he says.

The actor played a messed up man who gets a second chance at both love and life in the film, a modern take on "Devdas". Looking back, Abhay believes he should have approached the film's success in a more balanced way.

"The reaction to 'Dev D' success wasn't a balanced one from my end. I ran away! I should have stayed around and seen how I could balance things. But I wasn't capable of that. That's my background," he says.

Though he was able to create a space for his brand of cinema, Abhay believes the industry was unwilling to put money on him.

"For the first film, putting the name (Deol) behind me is understandable but as time progressed, people started to accept (me), in fact, they liked that I was my own individual.

"But the industry could not put money behind it (my individuality) because they can put money behind a brand, which is what my family name is, but they couldn't do with the individual that I was. It didn't make any monetary sense to them," he says.

Even though he comes from a film background, Abhay says he is "not a protege" that filmmakers would keep taking chances on him.

He went on to star in critically-acclaimed films such as "Manorama Six Feet Under", "Oye Lucky Lucky Oye" and "Shanghai".

Abhay further cemented his career by venturing out in commercial movies such as "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" and "Happy Bhaag Jayegi".

His next "Nanu Ki Jaanu", a horror comedy directed by Faraz Haider, co-starring Patralekhaa, is scheduled to release on April 20.

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News Network
March 16,2020

New Delhi, Mar 16: Joining other big names from the industry in raising the awareness about the novel coronavirus, actor Katrina Kaif on Sunday ensured the safety and urged everyone to take all the preventive measures to combat the spread of the virus.

The 36-year-old actor shared a post on Instagram along with a caption that read: "..... hope everyone is staying safe ... please follow all precautionary safety measures as recommended by the health professionals .... exercise and meditation help your body`s immune system ... keep your environment clean and happy."

In the shared post, she is seen posing for the camera along with her girlfriends, all seen in happy faces.

Earlier in the day actor Parineeti Chopra too took to Twitter and urged her fans to adopt social distancing to stop the highly contagious virus from spreading.

This comes three days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced coronavirus as a global pandemic.

In the wake of spurt in cases of coronavirus across the country, the Central Government on Saturday decided to treat the deadly virus as a "notified disaster".

As of Sunday, the total cases of coronavirus reported in India is 107, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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News Network
January 22,2020

Patna, Jan 22: Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressedher desire to make a movie on Chandragupta, the shepherd-turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has “not done enough justice to our history”.

The national award winner was here to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session.  Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar.

“The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here,” she said.

Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai, the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in ‘Manikarnika’, when asked if she would like to be associated with a film on any historical figure from Bihar, said, “It would be Chandragupta Maurya. The film industry has not done much justice to our history”.

A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 32-year-old, who has won three National Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, replied in the affirmative when asked about reports that she has turned producer and her first venture is based on the theme of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Himachal Pradesh-born actress, who has courted controversy for taking on well-entrenched Bollywood “insiders” like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan, said she has had a rebellious streak since childhood and shared an anecdote about her breaking her teacher’s stick upon being hit for chatting with a classmate in school.

When Kishan asked why she has gained so much weight, Ranaut replied it was in preparation for her upcoming biopic “Thalaivi”, based on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The actress said her forthcoming release “Panga” is a family drama.

Ranaut said after landing in Patna, she gorged on ‘Litti Chokha’, a local delicacy.

She also regaled the audience by greeting them in Bhojpuri and repeating several commonly used phrases of the dialect after Kishan.

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Agencies
May 18,2020

Muzaffarnagar, May 18: Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family has been quarantined for 14 days in his house in Budhana in Muzaffarnagar district.

The actor and his family underwent medical screening and have tested negative for Coronavirus.

The actor reached his home on May 15 after taking a travel pass. He and his family have been asked to remain in home quarantine till May 25.

His mother, brother and sister-in-law also made the journey with him in his private vehicle.

The actor told reporters that he underwent medical screenings at 25 points during his journey.

Kushalpal Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Budhana police circle, said that the health officials had visited the home of the actor and ordered a 14-day quarantine for them.

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