Bobby Deol’s brief but impactful role as the antagonist Abrar Haque in Animal quickly became a fan favourite. In a recent interaction, Bobby recalled how he landed the role and waited 1.5 years to begin shooting. He also expressed admiration for Ranbir Kapoor and revealed that while Animal’s success made him emotional, he didn’t celebrate it fully due to the passing of his mother-in-law before the film’s release.
Speaking to Humans of Bombay, Bobby recounted how Animal’s director Sandeep Reddy Vanga approached him for the role. “I got a message from him. He introduced himself and told me he wanted to meet me for a film. I thought, ‘Is it really him?’ I called and arranged the meeting. He showed me a photo of myself from when I participated in the Celebrity Cricket League and said, ‘I want to cast you because I love this expression of yours,'” he said.
Although he was initially apprehensive about playing a mute character, Bobby didn’t hesitate to take on the challenge. “I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone. When Sandeep told me that my character would be mute, I thought, ‘But my voice is my strength,’ yet I still decided to go for it,” he shared.
Bobby also opened up about his insecurities during the long wait to start filming Animal. “I waited 1.5 years to shoot the film. The film is 3.5 hours long, so they were shooting with Ranbir for a long time, and during that period, I kept thinking, ‘Are they going to change their mind? Will they suddenly say they don’t need me?’ Those thoughts crossed my mind, but Sandeep Reddy is a sweetheart. I learned sign language for the role. It became a huge success—although I never imagined it would become a cult hit, I had a gut feeling about it.”
Discussing his experience working with Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby said, “He is amazing. He’s such a huge star, but so down-to-earth. I shot with him for 12 days. I’ve known him since he was a kid and finally got to interact with him on set. We really bonded. There are many great actors, but I’ve always been a fan of Ranbir and Alia.”
When asked about how he celebrated Animal’s success with his family, Bobby shared, “My brother Sunny kept saying we should celebrate, but my mother-in-law passed away at that time. I believe it was her blessings that brought me this kind of love. She was special to me, and I lost her three months before the film came out. So, there was a lot going on.”
Following the success of Animal, Bobby will next be seen in Kanguva, starring Suriya in the lead role. Talking about the film and his experience in the South Indian film industry, Bobby said, “I’m really enjoying working in the South. They are so creative. I’m excited to work with Suriya. I’m a huge fan of his. When they offered me the film, I wasn’t familiar with the director, Siva, but I knew Suriya, and I really wanted to work with him.”
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