Abhay Deol on being sidekicked after 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'

Calling out the lobbying in Bollywood, he recalled how he was placed in the 'supporting roles' category

Bollywood actor Abhay Deol has shared a post on Instagram about his 2011 hit Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and how he was treated by the award shows after that.

Deol said he didn’t appreciate the way he and co-star Farhan Akhtar were suddenly placed in the ‘supporting actor’ category while Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif were made into the ‘leads’ of the film.

In an elaborate note, he started off by relaying how the fan favourite romantic-comedy has been a great stress reliever for him in times of anxiousness.  “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara released in 2011. Need to chant this title to myself everyday nowadays! Also a great watch when anxious or stressed,” Deol wrote.

However, the Aisha star then recalled how he was ‘demoted’ by award shows after playing the lead alongside Roshan and Kaif and called a ‘supporting actor.’

He said, “I would like to mention that almost all the award functions demoted me and Farhan from main leads, and nominated us as 'supporting actors'. Hrithik and Katrina were nominated as 'actors in a leading role'. So by the industry’s own logic, this was a film about a man and a woman falling in love, with the man supported by his friends for whatever decisions he takes.”

Deol also revealed he had boycotted the awards because of this but Akhtar was okay with it. “There are many covert and overt ways in which people in the industry lobby against you. In this case, it was shamelessly overt. I of course boycotted the awards but Farhan was ok with it,” he stated.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBnOqrHJzZk/?utm_source=ig_embed

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was a road trip ‘dramedy’ about three best friends who go on a trip to Spain, face their fears and form a friendship stronger than ever before, reported Hindustan Times. It was directed by Zoya Akhtar and won two awards at the 59th National Film Awards for Best Audiography and Best Choreography.

Last year, on the film’s eighth anniversary, Deol had written, “It’s been eight years since I made this film. It’s the one movie that had people come up to me and say, ‘I saw this and I quit my job’ or ‘I saw this and made peace with an old friend,’ or ‘I took a break from work’ and even, ‘I got a divorce!’ It inspired people to follow their dreams, to take action, to accept who and where they are. I couldn’t ask for more! It was an honour and a privilege to work with you, Zoya Akhtar!"

Deol was last seen in What Are The Odds? The film was also produced by him and released on Netflix on May 20, 2019.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.