Abhay Deol reveals why he ran away from Bollywood
What's the story
Abhay Deol, one of the finest actors in Indian cinema, recently opened up about his brief hiatus from acting. Speaking to Humans of Bombay, he disclosed that he moved to New York just before his 2009 release Dev.D hit the screens. The decision was prompted by his inability to handle the fame and attention that came with being a public figure.
Emotional struggle
Deol's internal conflict and unresolved issues
Deol admitted to having an internal conflict because of his fame. He said, "I was finding it hard to deal with the attention and fame because I started getting flashbacks of when I was a kid." "There was a conflict within me. I focused a lot on the negatives. I hadn't resolved many issues, so I just ran away because I was afraid of being famous and everything that came with it."
Stardom views
'I didn't care about the stardom; I cared about acting'
Coming from a legendary film family, the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara actor also had a different take on fame. He said, "The privilege I see for myself growing up in a film environment is that I saw fame up front as a kid, and I was never enamored by it." "I didn't care about the stardom; I cared about the acting."
Challenging period
Deol's self-destructive phase in New York
Deol also spoke about his difficult phase in New York, which he called a "self-destructive" phase. He said, "When I went there, I knew it wasn't going to be forever because I was just indulging. I was very destructive." "I don't take my work home. You should just embrace the privilege of being an actor and stop taking yourself so seriously."
Homecoming
Deol's return to India and acting
Despite his struggles in New York, Deol eventually decided to return home. He said, "I was just in New York playing the part I played in Dev.D, getting drunk, not working, and being terrible with my money." "I wanted to come back home and continue to earn and support myself and my family. There are responsibilities, you have to come back. This is a make-believe world. I knew it wasn't going to be permanent, it was a temporary escape."