Cinema VinesActor Bobby Deol, who rose to prominence in the 1990s and 2000s as a romantic lead, is now navigating a new chapter of his career. After a decade of returning to the screen, he has found himself cast more often in villainous roles, a trend he addressed during the Jagran Film Festival in Delhi on Saturday.
Speaking to PTI, Deol explained that once an actor is successful in a particular type of character, the industry tends to typecast them. “If an actor becomes successful in a particular kind of role, they keep getting similar roles. That's what happens in the industry,” he said, acknowledging the flood of negative roles he has received.
His recent work has reinforced this pattern. Deol made a comeback with Prakash Jha’s web series Aashram, where he played a con man masquerading as a self‑proclaimed godman. The performance led to a villainous part in the 2023 blockbuster Animal, and he has since appeared as the antagonist in films such as Hari Har Veera Mallu, Kanguva, Daaku Maharaj, Alpha, and Jana Nayagan.
Despite the typecasting, Deol insists he is actively seeking variety. “I try really hard to break out of that,” he told reporters. “I've just done a film called Bandar, which was very different. Even within antagonist roles, there are different kinds of antagonists, with different shades. So I enjoy playing those. I'm also going to do a few web series that will be different.” The 57‑year‑old star’s recent film Bandar saw him portray an ageing star accused of rape by his ex‑girlfriend, a role that earned positive reviews upon its June theatrical release.
Looking ahead, Deol will appear in the upcoming Prime Video spy drama Teen Kauwe, which is still in production. The series will feature Sidhant Gupta, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Pavail Gulati alongside him, marking another step toward diversifying his on‑screen repertoire.
