For the Deol family, 2023 was a year of celebrations and career highs. While veteran actor Dharmendra won hearts with his performance in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Sunny Deol delivered one of the biggest blockbusters of the year with Gadar 2, and Bobby Deol made a powerful comeback with Animal. The family also celebrated the wedding of Sunny’s son Karan Deol. However, according to Bobby, the success came after years of personal and professional struggles.
Speaking on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, the actor opened up about the difficult phase his family endured before fortunes finally turned around.
Bobby recalls the difficult years before the turnaround
“We had been through the worst period for many years. My father was getting older, and he felt the pain the most because every father wants to see their children happy. We were going through a very difficult phase financially and in many other ways,” Bobby said.
The actor recalled that one of the first bright moments for the family came with the success of Dharmendra’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
“My dad’s film came out, and the love he received for that film was the first wonderful thing that happened that year. I truly believe no one else could have played that character the way he did,” he said.
Soon after, the family celebrated another milestone when Karan Deol got married. “My nephew Karan got married. Finally, in a house full of men, we got a daughter because all my sisters are married and living in their own homes,” Bobby said.
Bobby Deol on Gadar 2 and Animal
The biggest turning point, however, came with the phenomenal success of Gadar 2. Bobby praised his elder brother Sunny Deol’s unwavering self-belief throughout the ups and downs of his career.
Story continues below this ad
“My brother’s self-belief is so strong. From the time he started acting until now, he has always played the main lead. He always believed in what he wanted to do, and finally God gave him that opportunity,” Bobby said.
The actor then spoke about his own career resurgence through Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and headlined by Ranbir Kapoor.
“When Animal happened, I was happy just to be a part of that film. Ranbir Kapoor is my favourite actor, and I was getting the opportunity to work with him. I had seen him at parties and always loved his personality, his dancing, everything about him. I always felt that when he started his career, something special would happen,” Bobby recalled.
“When Animal became a hit, it was just wonderful. It took me a year to truly understand that things had changed in my life.”
Story continues below this ad
Describing the remarkable turnaround, Bobby called it a “tsunami of blessings” for the Deol family.
“It was a tsunami of blessings for the family. Everything got better. Waiting is the toughest thing. I hope nobody has to wait 22 or 25 years the way my brother had to wait for Gadar 2 to happen. But it happened because he never gave up,” he said.
ALSO READ: Bharathiraja Death Updates: CM Vijay calls Bharathiraja’s death ‘a monumental loss’
Sunny Deol’s discipline and love for driving
Bobby also opened up about Sunny’s disciplined lifestyle and relentless work ethic, recalling memories from the time his brother was preparing for Ghayal.
Story continues below this ad
“My brother is extremely disciplined. He sleeps early and wakes up early. I remember when he was doing Ghayal, I would hear punching sounds at four in the morning. I looked out of the window and saw that he had set up a punching bag. At 4:30 am, he would already be practising boxing. That’s the kind of person he is.”
The actor also shared a lighter side of Sunny, describing him as adventurous and passionate about long drives. “My brother used to be very mischievous. He never drank, but he drove like a maniac. He crashed many cars, but he is one of the best drivers you will ever come across. He always wanted to be a rally driver.”
When Sunny Deol spoke about years of struggles
Bobby is not the first member of the family to talk about that difficult period. During an appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show in 2024, Sunny Deol spoke about the years of struggle that preceded the family’s string of successes.
“It has been many years, many things have unfolded. We were working in multiple fronts, putting in our best efforts. It’s not that we weren’t trying. I was involved in various things, Bobby was also trying and Papa was also doing. However, all of a sudden, with my son’s marriage and the arrival of a daughter in our house, the atmosphere completely changed,” Sunny had said.
Story continues below this ad
The actor recalled how a string of successes followed soon after. “We weren’t able to understand why things weren’t falling into place. After my daughter-in-law came, Gadar 2 got released, before that Papa’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was released. When Gadar 2 released, I couldn’t understand what is happening because I was laughing and crying at the same time from within. It was unbelievable. From where did God reveal himself? After that, Animal was released. All records were broken.”
Bobby Deol spoke about the difficult phase his family endured before fortunes finally turned around. (Photo: Instagram/Bobby Deol)