Told by many that if I'm in a film, it must be good: Abhay Deol

Abhay Deol is not your regular, conventional Bollywood star. His body of work boasts of some ‘hatke’ films like Oye Lucky Lucky Oye (2008), Dev D (2009), and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) among others. The actor is noted for his portrayal of complex characters on screen. He is vociferous in his support for parallel cinema in India and has also been vocal about minority and migrant rights in India.

Looking forward to the release of his upcoming sports drama titled Jungle Cry, Abhay says he has always been consistent with regard to the projects that he has done so far.

Talking about what made him say yes to the film, he reveals it was pure gut instinct. "I always follow gut instincts. I did that when Dibakar Banerjee came to me with Oye Lucky Lucky Oye... it was similar with Imtiyaz (Ali, who directed his debut film Socha Na Tha). And it was the same with Jungle Cry. I liked the script, I liked my character and the film checked all the boxes for me,” he said.

"Also, the fact that it is a true story and not much is known about these kids from the tribal background who won the U14 Rugby World Cup. It's fascinating but sad - that I didn't know this and the country doesn't know this. People just focus on cricket and Bollywood but there's a whole lot of diversity that needs attention. And Jungle Cry is one film that will teach us how to embrace that diversity," the Ahista Ahista (2006) actor added.

Abhay's overall image has been of an actor who has continuously played complex characters onscreen. On being asked if that has been deliberate, the actor said, "There has never been a deliberate reason to prove a point or give a message; it's just pure choice. But people have assumed certain things about my choice of films because I've been consistent and somewhat rigid; however, I'm a lot more open and fluid now."

He further added, "I joined this Industry in an environment where things were rigid - a hero has to look like this, a film has to look like this and this is the formula. And so I became rigid and said no, this is not how a hero should be or a film should be. Hence, I developed rigidity to counter their rigidity. But now things are opening up a bit and so am I."

As an artist, Deol opines that he never wanted to be a star, but a good actor. And that he has always believed in filmmaking to be a collective and creative venture. "I have been told this many times that if I am in a film then it must be good. I feel pressurised when I hear that because a film is not an individual making, it's a team making venture. I've chosen films that have tried to give something new to the audiences. Hence there's an expectation when I pick up a film," the 46-year-old actor said

"I've never highlighted, marketed, or promoted myself and have always put my film before me. I'm like a part of a jigsaw puzzle, which is the film. Maybe that's another reason why people have that opinion about me," he concluded.

Coming to Jungle Cry, the film portrays the journey of 12 underprivileged tribal kids from Odisha who won the prestigious U14 Rugby World Cup in the year 2007. Directed by Sagar Ballary, the film also stars Emily Shah, Atul Kumar, Stewart Wright, and Julian Lewis in key roles. Jungle Cry is slated to release on Lionsgate Play on 03 June 2022.