Bobby Deol steers clear on the nepotism debate being Dharmendra's son: 'My dad was an outsider'

Three decades into his career, Bobby Deol seems to be in the finest phase of his life. With projects like 'Animal', 'Class Of 83', 'Aashram', it looks like the actor is carving a difference niche for himself in a new way all together. Thus, many are calling this version Bobby 2.0. He will be seen next in Aryan Khan’s debut series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood' which takes us through the dark side of the industry as well. From the teaser, trailer, we also get a glimpse of the insider-outsider debate that it has highlighted as well. The show is directed by Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan.

What makes it more intriguing is Bobby’s own background. He is often labelled an “insider” because he is the son of legendary actor Dharmendra. Yet, the show itself focuses on the journey of an outsider in the film industry. Bobby feels the whole insider-outsider debate is oversimplified. He was quoted by Hindustan Times saying, "My dad was an outsider. I know everything inside-out… exactly how it is to be an outsider and insider. Everyone has dreams, irrespective of where they are from. Everyone has different things written for them. I just think people who… it’s easy to make excuses when you can’t achieve things.”


His own path has been far from smooth. After a promising start in the 1990s, Bobby went through a rough patch before bouncing back with Race 3 and later the 2023 blockbuster Animal, which firmly re-established him. Reflecting on the conversation around privilege and struggle, he says, “People make things sound like ‘oh it’s because I am outsider’ or ‘oh it’s because I am an insider’. They have to work hard, be focused and at it. Anyone can come knocking at your door, you have to be prepared. Insider bhi excuse bana sakte hain ki hamare upar itna pressure hai isiliye hum kaamyaab nahi ho rahe’. Outsider ka toh hai hi ki voh baahar se aa rahe hain. It makes a difference whether you are working hard or not, regardless of where you are from. Varna kuchh nahi hone wala aapka. Stop making excuses and just work hard.”

Even the tag of “Bobby 2.0” makes him chuckle. He reacts, “Yeh sab toh aap log bolte hain. For my fans I am still the same Bobby. They are happy that I am doing this kind of work today, like ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’. They had belief in me when maybe I had lost it myself. Hard work turns into luck, I am lucky.”