Bobby Deol on being typecast as a villain after ‘Aashram’ and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Animal’: ‘Even within antagonist roles, there are different kinds of antagonists’ |

Bobby Deol has reached a new career peak by embracing darker, more villainous roles, but this success comes with its own set of challenges. Having played several antagonists in recent years, he acknowledges that filmmakers are now increasingly offering him similar parts. The actor admits he’s conscious of getting typecast. Rather than accepting every villainous role that comes his way, he is now consciously seeking out characters that let him showcase a different facet of his acting.

Bobby Deol On How The Industry Typecasts Actors

At the Jagran Film Festival in Delhi on Saturday, Bobby spoke about how swiftly the industry tends to slot actors into a certain mould once a particular role finds success. “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.

Bobby Deol’s Villain Roles In ‘Aashram‘ And ‘Animal‘

Prakash Jha’s ‘Aashram’ proved to be the turning point in Bobby’s career revival, casting him as Baba Nirala, a godman whose spiritual image concealed something far darker. It was a sharp break from the romantic, action-hero roles that had defined him through the 90s and 2000s. His next big moment came with Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Animal’ in 2023, and though his screen time as Abrar Haque opposite Ranbir Kapoor was limited, the performance still became one of the film’s most talked-about aspects. Bobby has since gone on to take up several more antagonist roles, appearing in films like ‘Kanguva’, ‘Daaku Maharaaj’, ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’, ‘Alpha’ and ‘Jana Nayagan’.

Bobby Deol wants to break away from repetition

Bobby’s issue isn’t with playing villains, it’s with the sameness. “I try really hard to break out of that,” he told PTI, citing Anurag Kashyap‘s ‘Bandar’ as an example of the kind of role he’s drawn to. The Anurag Kashyap film placed him in a markedly different space, casting him as an ageing film star facing rape allegations from his former girlfriend, a character far removed from the larger-than-life villains he’s become known for of late.Deol also holds the view that taking on antagonist roles doesn’t have to mean delivering the same performance repeatedly. “Even within antagonist roles, there are different kinds of antagonists, with different shades. So I enjoy playing those,” he explained. He further mentioned that some upcoming streaming projects would give him the chance to venture into new territory. “I’m also going to do a few web series that will be different,” he said.

Bobby Deol’s next project is ‘Teen Kauwe’

On the work front, Bobby’s next project is ‘Teen Kauwe’, a spy drama for Prime Video that’s currently being filmed. The show also features Sidhant Gupta, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Pavail Gulati in key roles.