‘Invitations Started Drying Up’: Bobby Deol Opens Up About Time He Had No Work

Last Updated:October 16, 2025, 18:15 IST

Bobby Deol has witnessed both highs and lows over the course of his decades-long career.

Bobby Deol recently starred in 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood,' directed by Aryan Khan.(Photo Credit: Instagram)

Bollywood actor Bobby Deol has opened up about how he stopped receiving social invites and even acquaintances, who previously approached him, started to pull away during his struggling phase. He further added that the same people who used to “be so warm" towards him at events began to disregard him as his fame declined.

Following a professional setback that led him to turn to alcohol for solace, Bobby seized the second opportunity fate offered him.

In an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Bobby stated that while he was familiar with producers asking him for jobs, he was unable to keep up with the industry’s upheavals around the turn of the millennium. “The number of invitations I got for parties began to drop," Bobby said, adding that people would greet him politely, then drift off to form separate social circles, leaving him behind.

Knocking on doors during the low phase

Bobby also described a painfully humbling time when he had to actively approach directors and producers to request work, according to News18. Offers were few around that period, so he found himself knocking on doors and occasionally begging, “I am Bobby Deol. Please give me work."

The ‘Animal’ actor asserted that he never felt embarrassed to approach potential employers because doing so was essential for actors to remain in demand. “There is nothing wrong with that. At least they will remember that Bobby Deol came to meet me," he said at the time.

Bobby was accustomed to being approached for jobs in his early years, but the changing Bollywood landscape of the 2000s, where aggressive self-promotion, networking, and public relations took centre stage, temporarily put him out of step.

Bobby claimed in an earlier conversation with Raj Shamani that his fall paralleled that of his father, Dharmendra, and brother, Sunny Deol. The family was going through a very depressing time, and Bobby was feeling hopeless.

“It’s horrible. Alcohol is the biggest addiction; it is more addictive than real drugs. It messes with your brain like narcotics," he told Shamani.

“Same people" now come back with offers.

In the recent interview with Mishra, Bobby claimed that some of the people who ignored him in previous years are now coming back with proposals and looking to work together once again.

“I don’t hold grudges. The same people come to me now with offers, but I don’t hold anything against them," Bobby said, according to the Indian Express.

He also thanked his wife, Tanya Deol, for supporting him “when he was at his worst," when many would have turned their backs on him.

Bobby Deol’s comeback narrative

Race 3 marked a significant turning point in Bobby’s career after he approached Salman Khan for assistance. He later gained new fame as a star of popular projects, including the web series ‘Aashram’ and the Ranveer Kapoor-starrer ‘Animal.’

His comeback in mainstream cinema was further cemented in September when he starred in Aryan Khan’s directing debut, The B**ds of Bollywood* (available on Netflix).

Kashvi Raj Singh

Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-...Read More

Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-...

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News movies bollywood ‘Invitations Started Drying Up’: Bobby Deol Opens Up About Time He Had No Work