Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He made his feature film debut in Barsaat (1995), where he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He started his career as a youngster in Dharam Veer (1977). Hit movies like Gupt, Soldier, Badal, Bichhoo, Ajnabee, and Humraaz helped him become well-known.
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| Bobby Deol in 2025 | |
| Born | 27 January 1969 (age 56) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | Mithibai College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | Gupt, Soldier, Badal, Aashram, Animal |
| Notable works | Gupt (1997) Soldier (1998) Badal (2000) Aashram Animal (2023) |
| Awards | IIFA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role |
| Spouse(s) | Tanya Deol (m. 1996) |
| Parents | Dharmendra (father) Prakash Kaur (mother) |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Website | See below |
Following a time of hardship, Bobby found success again with ventures like The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, Aashram, Class of '83, and Love Hostel. He received a lot of appreciation and a Filmfare nomination for his antagonistic character in the popular movie Animal (2023). He is now well-known for his stirring performances and commanding on-screen persona.
Early Life & Education
Bobby Deol was born as Vijay Singh Deol on 27 January 1969 in Mumbai. He comes from a Punjabi Jat family linked to the Arya Samaj. He is the younger brother of Sunny Deol and has two sisters, Vijayta and Ajeeta, who live in California. His stepmother is Hema Malini, and through her, he has two half-sisters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. His cousin Abhay Deol is also an actor, and he is the uncle of Karan and Rajveer Deol.
Bobby studied at Mayo College in Ajmer and later completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mithibai College in Mumbai. He married Tanya Ahuja in 1996, and they have two sons.
Career
Early Career (1995–2002)
In Rajkumar Santoshi's romantic film "Barsaat" (1995), Deol made his adult acting debut opposite Twinkle Khanna as a gullible young man who relocates from a hamlet to the city and is entangled in crime and corruption. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for the highly successful movie. After that, he co-starred with Manisha Koirala and Kajol in the suspenseful thriller "Gupt: The Hidden Truth" (1997), which was both critically and commercially successful. "Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya," his other 1997 film starring Aishwarya Rai, was a box office failure.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 1998 film "Kareeb" was his second straight failure. But the Abbas–Mustan military thriller "Soldier" (1998), starring Raakhee and Preity Zinta, was a huge hit. His only release of 1999 was the love triangle Dillagi, directed by his brother Sunny Deol.
In 2000, Deol starred in the popular action dramas "Badal" and "Bichhoo." Following that, he starred alongside Karisma Kapoor in the unsuccessful films "Hum To Mohabbat Karega" (2000) and "Aashiq" (2001). He portrayed a married man caught up in dishonesty and extramarital affairs in the Abbas-Mustan thriller "Ajnabee" (2001); the movie was a mediocre box office success, but his performance won plaudits.
In the historical drama "23rd March 1931: Shaheed" (2002), he reteamed with Sunny Deol to play Bhagat Singh opposite Sunny as Chandra Shekhar Azad. The movie got mixed reviews, and some critics thought Ajay Devgn's performance in "The Legend of Bhagat Singh" overshadowed him.
He played a wealthy businessman involved in a romantic triangle with Ameesha Patel and Akshaye Khanna in Abbas-Mustan's romantic thriller "Humraaz," which earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor later in 2002. The comedy "Chor Machaaye Shor" was his final release in 2002.
Career in (2003–2017)
After a short hiatus, Deol made a comeback with Priyanka Chopra in "Kismat" (2004). In the 2004 films "Bardaasht" and "Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo," he portrayed army officers. His Sikh portrayal in "Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo" won praise, although none of these movies did well financially.
In the 2005 thriller "Jurm," he reteamed with Vikram Bhatt and won accolades for his restrained performance. He had appearances in the love triangle "Barsaat" and "Tango Charlie" (both 2005), however neither of them restored his economic success. "Dosti: Friends Forever," his last movie from 2005, was a huge hit in the UK but did poorly in India.
He costarred with Ameesha Patel in the romantic musical "Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai" in 2006. Critics commended his performance despite the film's failure.
In 2007, Deol had six releases. Shakalaka Boom Boom earned him strong reviews for his negative role, while Jhoom Barabar Jhoom received criticism for its screenplay and his performance was considered overshadowed. He finally tasted success with Anil Sharma's boxing drama Apne (2007), co-starring Dharmendra and Sunny Deol. He later appeared in Abbas–Mustan’s thriller Naqaab, which failed commercially.
In 2008, Deol starred in the crime drama Chamku and the ensemble film Heroes, both of which failed to perform well. He made a special appearance in the hit romantic comedy Dostana (2008), which became one of the top-grossing films of the year.
In 2009, Deol played an assassin in Ek: The Power of One, which went unnoticed. His next film Help (2010) also failed. He had success in Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011), but Thank You (2011) and Players (2012) did not work well. After several flops, he took a three-year break. He later spoke about feeling demotivated during this time. He tried a comeback with Poster Boys (2017), but it was unsuccessful.
Web Era (2018–2022)
Deol appeared in Race 3 (2018), which was a big hit despite poor reviews. Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se failed. He then acted in Housefull 4 (2019), a major success. His film Class of ’83 (2020) earned him a Filmfare OTT nomination. He gained strong attention for his negative role in the web series Aashram (2020–). This led to more villain roles in Love Hostel (2022) and Animal (2023).
Comeback (2023–present)
Animal (2023) marked a big turning point, and his role as a mute villain was praised. He won major awards and earned a Filmfare nomination. He made his Tamil debut in Kanguva (2024). In 2025, he appeared in the Telugu film Daaku Maharaaj and acted in Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1. He starred in Anurag Kashyap’s Bandar, which screened at TIFF 2025. He played a superstar-villain in the Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood (2025), which gained positive reviews. He will next be seen in Jana Nayagan and the YRF Spy Universe film Alpha.
Notable Works
Bobby Deol has appeared in several successful films across different genres. Some of his most notable works include Barsaat (1995), Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), Soldier (1998), Ajnabee (2001), Humraaz (2002), Apne (2007), and the comedy franchise Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011). In recent years, he gained strong appreciation for his performances in Class of ’83 (2020) and the popular web series Aashram.
Achievements and Recognition
Bobby Deol received the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Actor for his performance in Barsaat (1995). Over the years, he has been praised for his ability to portray a wide range of roles, including action, romantic, and negative characters. His performances in films like Gupt and Ajnabee earned significant critical acclaim. His portrayal of Baba Nirala in the web series Aashram revived his career and brought him widespread recognition.