Before his big comeback, Bobby Deol was going through a very hard time in his career. It was at this low point that Salman Khan came forward and gave him a role in ‘Race 3’, which helped bring him back into the picture. Bobby recently recalled how difficult things were before his career got back on track. Today, however, things couldn’t be more different, as the actor is enjoying massive success thanks to ‘Animal’ and ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, making him one of the most popular names in Bollywood right now.
Bobby Deol recalls Salman Khan’s life-changing call
During his chat on Shekhar Tonite, Bobby looked back on the moment he received an unexpected call from Salman that would eventually open the doors to ‘Race 3’. The film, which hit theatres in 2018, saw Salman step into the lead role of the ‘Race’ franchise, taking over from Saif Ali Khan. Reflecting on how it all came about, Bobby said, “Salman was so sweet…He called me and asked ‘shirt utarega mamu?’ I said main kuch bhi karunga. He said come and get the narration and then I got in Race 3. I knew that millions of people are going to watch this Salman Khan movie. The young generation had forgotten about Bobby Deol. So I thought if I appear in this movie, people will remember that Bobby Deol is still there.”
Bobby Deol on what ‘Race 3’ meant beyond box office numbers
Apart from Bobby, ‘Race 3’ boasted an ensemble cast that included Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem. Though the film received a mixed response from critics, it proved to be a solid commercial success, raking in over Rs 300 crore at the worldwide box office. For Bobby, however, the film meant much more than just numbers. He openly admitted that he viewed the project as an opportunity to win back a younger generation of viewers who had gradually drifted away from his work over the years.
Bobby Deol on being forgotten by the young generation
Reflecting on what the film meant for his career, Bobby didn’t shy away from admitting just how much was riding on it for him personally. “Millions of people are going to go watch a Salman Khan film. Jo young generation thi woh Bobby Deol ko bhool gayi thi (The young generation had forgotten Bobby Deol). So I felt ki main iss film me aaunga toh log pehchanenge ki koi Bobby Deol bhi hai (If I do this film, people will realise I exist)”, he said.
Bobby Deol’s remarkable journey from ‘Race 3’ to ‘Animal’
‘Race 3’ opened a new door for Bobby, and he made the most of it. In 2020, his show ‘Aashram’, directed by Prakash Jha, helped him reach a whole new set of fans on OTT and proved that he was far from done. But the real turning point came with ‘Animal’. The film was Ranbir Kapoor’s show, but Bobby’s role as the bad guy took everyone by surprise. He didn’t have too much screen time, but he made a big impact and received a lot of praise for his work. After that, there was no looking back for him. He went on to do ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ and ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’, and is now having the best time of his career.
Bobby Deol’s upcoming projects: ‘Bandar’ and ‘Jana Nayagan’
On the work front, Bobby has Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Bandar’ lined up, which has fans eager to see what the two bring to the table together. He is also a part of ‘Jana Nayagan’, a film that has been generating a lot of buzz as it is said to be Vijay’s final outing as an actor. However, the movie has hit a roadblock as it has been stuck with the CBFC for several months now with no clear resolution in sight.
