Abhay Deol reveals he went into self-destructive phase before Dev D’s release; ‘I was afraid of being famous…’

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Before the debut of his movie Dev D in 2009, actor Abhay Deol stepped back from Bollywood and moved to New York during his career’s height. Not long after the film premiered, he returned to India. In a recent conversation, Abhay spoke about his time out of acting, disclosing that he went through a “self-destructive phase” and was apprehensive about becoming famous.

In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Abhay Deol disclosed that he moved to New York prior to the premiere of Dev D. He confessed that dealing with public attention and stardom was challenging for him, as it reminded him of experiences from his youth.

As a tender-hearted youngster, I found myself uncomfortable under the glare of the limelight, despite my ardent love for art, creativity, and the captivating world of films. Although I foresaw that Dev D would be a major triumph, I never craved fame; instead, I remained steadfast in my acting pursuit.

Abhay Deol openly shared that he grappled with a personal struggle, often giving more weight to the negative aspects. He admitted that lingering personal problems pushed him away, as he was apprehensive about fame and all its accompanying elements.

Reflecting on my days in the bustling city of New York, I can’t help but remember it as a testing time. I found myself slipping into a self-destructive spiral during that period. In retrospect, I understood that my stay was transient; I was merely indulging in the moment, knowing deep down it wouldn’t last forever. Some of us in this profession often grapple with keeping our personal lives separate from our work, but over time, I managed to learn how not to let it affect me.

As a fervent admirer, let me share how this charismatic actor from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara maintains a boundary between work and personal life, advocating for actors to appreciate their profession without slipping into excessive self-importance. Yet, in an unexpected twist, he confessed that his self-destructive tendencies had actually worsened by the year’s end, instead of subsiding.

Deol pondered over his choice to come back from New York, openly acknowledging that he’d always understood his sojourn wouldn’t be long-term. He characterized his time spent in the metropolis as a phase of recklessness, during which he often resembled his Dev D character—overindulging in alcohol, shying away from work duties, and being careless with his finances.

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2025-03-04 09:52