Actor Bobby Deol looks visibly tired and sleep-deprived after travelling for several hours at a stretch — from Leh to Mumbai and then to Toronto — to attend the screening of Sholay and the world premiere of his latest film, Anurag Kashyap’s Monkey in a Cage (Bandar). For Bobby, the screening of his latest film, as part of the Special Presentations section of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), marks a major shift in his career and underlines his efforts to reinvent himself as an actor.The younger son of Dharmendra, one of Indian cinema’s most beloved stars, Bobby made a typical Bollywood debut with the romantic movie Barsaat (1995). In a career spanning three decades, he seems to be enjoying a second coming in recent years. Whether it’s meaty parts in web series, larger-than-life roles in mainstream potboilers, or now, an offbeat drama like Monkey in a Cage, Bobby is clearly grabbing attention with some unexpected choices.“Now I have reached a stage in my life where I believe I don’t care (about maintaining an image). I will try what I want and see the best I can deliver as an actor,” says Bobby Deol. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap10)The 56-year-old actor has been in an on-and-off conversation with Anurag Kashyap for years to work together. While nothing had worked out earlier, Bobby believes that this is the best phase of his career to experiment with different roles. “Earlier, I was in a different stage of my career, I was also scared about attempting such roles. What happens if I can’t do it properly, I used to fear,” he shares.However, when Anurag approached him once again after watching Animal (2023), Bobby was ready to dive into what the project demanded. “I was keen to work with Anurag. I knew I would learn so much from him as an actor. I was out of my comfort zone. There was no workshop. He did not even give a script,” says Bobby. The Gupt actor, however, had one major concern. “In mainstream movies, I have always played characters which are larger-than-life. Because of that conditioning, I was not sure if playing a regular person would be easy.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saffron Magicworks (@saffronmagicworks)The night before Monkey in a Cage’s first day of shoot, he barely slept. “I wondered what did I do differently in Animal that people look at me differently. I rewatched Animal. Still, I did not find the answer. I hardly slept for an hour and the next day shot for 12 hours. However, once I was on the set everything flowed smoothly,” he recalls.In the movie, Bobby Deol plays the role of Samar, an ageing has-been television star. Just as he’s settling into a comfortable relationship with the younger Khushi (Saba Azad), his ex, Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi), wants to be back in his life. Unable to reason with her, Samar simply ghosts and blocks Gayatri. When Gayatri accuses Samar of rape, he is quickly taken into custody and subjected to a judicial system steeped in corruption and eager to keep him behind bars.Also read | The Ba***ds of Bollywood trailer: Shah Rukh Khan lands a punch, literally, in son Aryan Khan’s series; showcases industry’s glam and grimeWorking on the movie was like attending a workshop for Bobby. “All the actors I worked with are good (the film features nearly 120 theatre actors). So, it became a case of reacting to their action. Their performance was giving me energy and vice-versa. For me, every scene is challenging. I believe if you can’t bring sincerity to your performance, then it does not work,” shares the actor, whose major successes include Soldier (1998) and Humraaz (2002). Bobby also experienced failure when his movies did not work. Subsequently, he enjoyed success with movies that were OTT releases such as Class of 83 (2020) and Love Hostel (2022) as well as the series Aashram. “Today, I have become more brave and fearless. I have moved away from what my image used to be. The web shows I acted in were very helpful in this regard,” says the actor.Bobby Deol talks about the difficult phase he went through in his career without mincing words. “In between when I did not have any work, I took acting classes. I asked myself: why did my career have a good start? That’s because people saw something in me. However, because of my wrong choices, my career suffered. I worked on regaining faith in myself as well as being disciplined. If you are disciplined, you can put more effort into your work without feeling the pressure,” he says and adds, “Every actor has to be disciplined. You can’t make excuses.”Story continues below this adEven as Bobby adopts a fresh approach for his career, he seems to have embraced signs of ageing. Unlike most stars, at 56, he has embraced the furrows on his forehead and grey hair. “Yeh lakeerain hain meri kismat ki. Meri kismat bahut chamak rahi hai (These are my fate lines and my stars are currently shining),” he chuckles. He seems to have let go of his vanity as he goes after meaty characters. To play the character of Samar in Monkey in a Cage, he chose to look flabby and unhealthy. “I needed to look like a loser who drinks and leads a chaotic life. He is lost and confused,” he says.Later this month, Bobby Deol would be seen in a different avatar — a wealthy film personality — in Aryan Khan’s Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood. “In this industry, one tends to get typecast. It is tough to break that mould. OTT gave me that chance to come out of it. Playing an antagonist character and getting appreciation is something I had not imagined. However, every antagonist has to be different — be it my character in Aashram or Animal,” he says. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bobby Deol (@iambobbydeol)It’s been a long journey and Bobby is happy to have come out of the shadow of his father (Dharmendra) and brother (Sunny Deol) and create a space for himself. “Characters and how interesting they are matter to me the most. I enjoy being on the set.”On how he sees himself in the coming years, Bobby Deol says he wishes to keep on playing interesting characters and connect with the audience. “I get a lot of love. People when they meet me say that they are happy that I succeeded. My success feels personal to them. It’s beautiful to hear that,” he says.