BOBBY DEOl and SAQIB SAlEEM are all primed for Race 3 with which they are hoping to rescue themselves back in the game. But both hold themselves with extreme grace under pressure. At a launch of a fashion line, they tell Muskaan KatHuria how they dealt with missed chances
They may be apart in years but are united by their singular pursuit of gentlemanly fashion. At 49 years, actor Bobby Deol is the more seasoned of the two, the style following some substance that he has acquired from years of experience. Born to a charmed life of a star son and rapid early successes with his rugged looks, he had, by his own admission, taken his days for granted. Until they slipped out of his hands completely. “I wish I knew that I had reached the level up with two-three movies but I never realised that. I never understood that I had reached a certain level of stardom. I was very normal about it. I wish I had noticed it. May be that would have made me focus about not losing it. I should have been more attentive towards it,” he says candidly. It took Salman Khan to convince him to get back into the race with Race 3, not to prove a point but to clamber a way out of an emotional trough and restore his sense of self-worth. That can-do spirit has worked wonders as Bobby is back with his swag and toned self, looking every bit as desirable as he was all those years ago.
Saqib is an outsider, a youngster, who has been battling his own lows, the big banner eluding him though he has grown up on a diet of masala films. But the acting chops were latent, waiting to be tapped but for long was compromised by circumstance. “Collaborating with the right people helps a young actor build a stable career. I have taken projects where in the end, the studio or producer disowned the film before its release,” he says.
So when they stride into the room, endorsing a fashion line, it is about confidence born of patience and grit. And that shows as they bounce off our questions with each other.
What is it about the new fashion collection that you like the mostIJ
Bobby: It’s all about what appeals to you when you walk into the store. Sometimes you even find pieces attractive from the old collections. Style can never just disappear, it’s how your wear it. Years ago, I was looking for the blue colour I’m wearing, couldn’t find it. This collection (Blackberry’s) brings such great variety to choose from, it’s good.
Saqib: I am a person who is very particular about the fit of the trouser. I think the jacket can be fixed but perfect trousers are hard to find, especially the way I want them to be. I want them slightly tapered from the down. I love special Phoenix-fit pants.
What are your personal style statementsIJ
Bobby: Style for me is how you carry what you wear. Especially when you’re fit, anything looks good on you. So I suggest if you want to look good in your clothes, get fit first.
Saqib: Bobby’s very right, it’s important to be fit. Even the best clothes wouldn’t look good on you if you are not fit. In that case, the fault is yours and not the brand’s (laughs). But my personal style statement is that I like to express myself through my clothing. I like to be dressed smart all the time. In my childhood I used to copy Salman Khan’s ganji look, but now I am trying to build my own fashion statement.
How has working out together and sharing the same trainer impacted the equation that you both haveIJ
Bobby: Ye munna hai mera! He’s too young and when you work out with younger people, their energy motivates you. The same happened with me.
Saqib: No, Bobby’s being too sweet right now. I’ll tell you the truth. We were shooting in Abu Dhabi and I was working out with this thought in my mind that I’m perfectly fit and Bobby’s going through his transformation, so I’d help him with that extra push. Two days later the entire concept reversed. He was motivating me in the gym and pushing me to do more sets. We call him BODY DEOl now. So I think he’s been a huge inspiration for me on the sets.
(To Bobby) Even though it’s not technically a comeback, why did you choose Race 3IJ
Bobby: It’s a very exciting franchise and I was looking for a big film to be a part of so that I could show myself off to a larger audience. Race 3 has a big following and now Salman is a part of it. It was very sweet of Salman to have thought of me for the film and the only criteria was that I had to remove my shirt, haha. I’m very excited for the film as I had the nicest time shooting for this one. Moreover, it’s in 3D! I used to always think about when I’d be in a 3D film and now I’ve got this.
(To Bobby) Has the lack of work in these years affected you in any wayIJ
Bobby: When you’re mentally upset and your heart is hurting, that is the time when you alone can make yourself feel better. Every human being goes through such a phase. It’s just that I created that situation for myself, no one else did it for me. So, when I realised I was doing this to myself, I had to get myself out of that situation. That was my awakening.
In my earlier days, I never thought people were competing with me. I was like everybody deserves work and why should I come in their way. But things had changed, everybody was going to the producers’ office to get work, which could have been mine. I did not realise that and slowly started losing. I wish I had realised then. I wish I had a better physique but it is never too late. Then I looked around me. Salman is a big star and he still has the fire, Anil (Kapoor) has tremendous energy. My dad is 82 years old and he wants to work every day of his life, even my brother. I don’t know why I did not take that positivity from them.
(To Bobby) The Bollywood that you are stepping in now is a changed and an evolved one. There are movies on social issues and historical events and what not. What are your observations on the sameIJ
Bobby: See, movies like these were made earlier too but the audience was not ready to accept them then. My dad did a film called Satyakam, which was an amazing film but nobody wanted to flag that type of film or story as path-breaking then. So, things have changed definitely for the better, where you can make different kinds of films. That’s a good sign but the thing is that if an actor in the industry already has an image, it’s very difficult to break that and do other films. I did Poster Boys and it also had a message about controlling population but it didn’t work out well. I would like to do more of these films but the producers wouldn’t want me doing that. I guess, we’ll never know until we do such a film and it works well.
(To Bobby) Can you tell us anything about your new projectsIJ
Bobby: Yamla Pagla Deewana Part 3 is happening this August. I’ve just signed Houseful 4 for which I’ll start shooting in July. And then I’m just hoping after Race 3, I get more work.
(To Saqib) You’re a young actor amid three extremely experienced ones. How does that feelIJ
Saqib: It was a very, very big thing for me to be able to work with these guys. I’ve looked up to them, I’ve idolised them. Growing up, I’ve worn those jeans and ganjis and started working out watching Salman Bhai. I’ve been a huge fan of Bobby, I loved Soldier but my absolute favourite was Anil Kapoor’s Mr India. That movie had impacted me in ways I cannot express. I am getting to work with all three of them and the experience is beyond amazing. Everyone was looking out for each other.
(To Saqib) How do you feel about living with HumaIJ Tell us about the bond you share.
Saqib: We have our ups and downs like any other siblings; we fight a lot. But at the same time, we keep joking, that after you get married or I get married, either you have to find a husband who’s okay with me being in the house or I get a wife who’s okay with you being in the house. I can’t stay without her and neither can she. The beauty of the relationship that I share with Huma is that we don’t consider each other siblings. We talk about anything and everything and sometimes people are shocked. But it wasn’t always like that. There was a time, in Delhi, where we hated each other. We even wanted to kill each other. But distance brings you closer and that’s what happened.
(To Saqib) Is there any particular experience you’d like to share with us from the sets of Race 3IJ
Saqib: So, I remember Anil Sir started shooting for the film on the seventh day and his first day happened to be with just me. I was nervous as I wanted him to think that I was a good actor and think highly of me. So, I was in my van preparing the pleasantries in my head. At the same time, there was some issue with my pants, and the crew was trying to fix it when the ED came running, shouting, “Anil Sir’s here.” I’m like, I should’ve been there before him, I’m the young actor, and I ran to the set as I zipped my pants, out of breath. When I reached there, he walked up to me and said such good things about the films I had done, about how I looked and this and that. All the nervousness I had just went out of the window. I was reflecting upon it the other day and I’m hundred per cent sure that he recalled his debutant days too. May be he sensed that nervousness in me which he felt when he had started out, so he made sure that he made me feel comfortable. I’ll cherish these memories forever.
(To Saqib) How have you managed to hold on in a competitive industryIJ
Film-making is a time-consuming process. If the producer loses interest or director loses its vision in the middle of the process, the film suffers.
With two of my films Dobaara and Dil Junglee such things happened. I think these days, a good script is not enough for a film to get success. There was a time when I would go simply with the purity of the script. Good theatrical release and good marketing are also important to get a proper visibility. I lived under the impression that for the first few years people will call me for work once my film releases. Slowly I realised that that is not how it functions. Acting skill is not enough for someone to survive here, networking is needed. The producers and directors you are working with are equally important.