Bobby Deol was hesitant to do Anurag Kashyap’s Bandar till Dharmendra stepped in: ‘Go take a chance’

So, he went back to his family and took their advice. His family was also surprised, given it’s quite a dark role for a star like Bobby Deol. But it was the biggest star of his family — his late, legendary father Dharmendra — who encouraged Bobby to give his nod. The veteran actor recalled how he also encountered raised eyebrows when he showed interest in offbeat films back in the 1960s, during his rise as a superstar.

“Dharam ji told him actors can’t be shy. He said, ‘Even I have done non-mainstream roles in Satyakam, Anupama, and Dillagi. Go take a chance,'” adds the source. That did it for Bobby, who immediately gave his nod to the role. He clearly had faith in his father, who did his own share of unconventional films like Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anupama (1966) and Satyakam (1969), along with the lesser-known risk, Basu Chatterjee’s 1978 romantic comedy Dillagi, in which he starred opposite his then-future wife Hema Malini.

Bobby Deol has looked up to Dharmendra, as was witnessed when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his late father at the Chetak Screen Awards last month. “He worked in this industry for so many years, he saw both good and bad times, but never gave up. Wherever I go and whoever I meet, I receive so much love because my father opened people’s hearts for us — for me, my brother (Sunny Deol), and our family,” said a visibly emotional Bobby.

Last year, the actor told SCREEN upon completing 30 years in the film industry that he’s just getting started. “I’m going to be here for a very long time, probably as long as my dad (Dharmendra). If there’s anyone I’m inspired by, it’s only my father. He’s something else,” said Bobby.

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Bobby Deol also opened up on Bandar, calling it one of the most unconventional roles he’s done so far. “That was a very different kind of character than what I’ve played in films and shows. Usually, you end up playing very larger-than-life characters. You become so conditioned playing those that it becomes more difficult to change the whole process of how you perform. But Anurag really helped me with that. He brought out the best in me,” Bobby added.

Bandar premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, marking a first for Bobby. Co-produced by Zee Studios and Nikhil Dwivedi’s Saffron Magicworks, the film also stars Sanya Malhotra, Saba Azad, Sapna Pabbi, Indrajith Sukumaran, and Joju George, among others. It is slated to release in Indian cinemas on June 5.