Bobby Deol

Biography

His was scheduled to be Bollywood's most well designed launch ever. Papa Dharmendra and big brother Sunny did everything they could to ensure that Bobby Deol announced his arrival in style. Several girls were screen-tested to play the lead opposite this stunning star son, before Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia's daughter Twinkle, became the chosen one. None other than Shekhar Kapur was assigned the task of making the young Deol's entry into films a memorable one. But long before the film could be completed, Kapur walked out of the project and Rajkumar Santoshi (who had earlier turned around Sunny's career with 'Ghayal' (1990)) took over. Finally, when 'Barsaat' (earlier titled 'Badal') hit the screen in 1995, the tall expectations and much anticipation built around it couldn't ensure a rousing welcome at the ticket window. Although the film proved to be an average grosser, Bobby's dreamy eyes, stylish curls and cute dimples turned on the magic. And overnight, this star-son became hot property. However, his next release 'Gupt' (1997), came nearly two years after 'Barsaat'. This murder mystery proved to be a huge hit and pushed the star's stock skywards. It was no mean feat for a solo hero big-budget venture that vested a lot of faith in Bobby's star appeal. Naturally, everyone hoped 'Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya' (1997), which marked the debut of Miss World Aishwarya Rai, would get an even warmer welcome. Eventually, this over-hyped love story turned out to be a complete washout. Meanwhile, the handsome star took a break for a lavish wedding with the light-eyed Tanya Ahuja, a business magnate's daughter. In keeping with the Deol tradition, Bobby's wedding was strictly out of bounds for the press, with several bodyguards and members of the family assigned the all-important task of keeping nosy photographers at bay. When Vidhu Vinod Chopra decided to turn outright commercial with a popular love story he signed Bobby to play the small-town hero of 'Kareeb' (1998) opposite newcomer Neha. The star was meticulously groomed for a part that was crucial to the film's overall appeal; that of a mischievous boy who falls hopelessly in love with a beautiful girl and ends up losing her because of his tendency to lie his way through life. Bobby was suitably earnest and did earn a few good reviews for his effort. But Chopra's dream came crashing down with a resounding thud at the box-office. As is usually the case, this also brought Bobby's star status into question. But all doubts were quickly dispelled with another thrilling hit in the form of Abbas-Mastan's whodunit, 'Soldier' (1998). Once again, Bobby deserved credit for its success, since he was cast opposite rank newcomer, Preity Zinta, and was aided by a totally non-starry cast.