He worked with Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra. Gave no hits for 11 years. Now, the actor reveals how Salman Khan helped revive his career in 2018

Bobby Deol is currently enjoying one of the strongest phases of his career. After years of struggling to stay relevant in mainstream cinema, the actor has reinvented himself with intense antagonist roles and powerful screen presence. His performance as Abrar in Animal turned him into an internet sensation, with fans even calling him “Lord Bobby.” Today, the actor has several major projects lined up across Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu cinema. Amid this successful comeback phase, Bobby recently opened up about the difficult years in his career and revealed how Salman Khan played a major role in helping him bounce back in 2018.

Speaking on Shekhar Tonite hosted by Shekhar Suman, Bobby spoke honestly about a period when he felt audiences, especially younger viewers, had almost forgotten him.

The actor shared that Salman Khan personally called him and offered him a role in Race 3. Recalling the conversation, Bobby said, "Salman was so sweet. Kuch saalo baad usne mujhe phone kiya aur kaha, 'Shirt utarega maamu' (Will you take off your shirt). I said, 'Main kuch bhi karunga' (I will do anything). Then he said, 'Come on, listen to the story,' and that is how I got Race 3."


According to Bobby, being part of a Salman Khan film gave him visibility among younger audiences who no longer remembered him after years away from successful commercial cinema. He believed appearing in a massive franchise film would remind people that “Bobby Deol still exists.”

Bobby Deol struggled for years after early success

Before the difficult phase in his career, Bobby Deol was one of Bollywood’s popular stars during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He worked alongside some of the biggest actresses in the industry, including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Preity Zinta, and Priyanka Chopra.

Films like Gupt, Soldier, and Badal established him as a leading actor. However, according to Box Office India, his career later went through a long dry spell after Hum To Mohabbat Karega failed at the box office. Over the next 11 years, several of his films including Kranti, 23rd March 1931: Shaheed, Tango Charlie, and Naqaab struggled commercially. While a few projects managed average performances, Bobby largely disappeared from the list of successful mainstream stars.

His first major comeback moment arrived with Aashram in 2020. The web series introduced audiences to a darker and more layered version of Bobby Deol, and his performance received strong appreciation.

Animal changed everything for Bobby Deol

While Aashram helped him regain attention, it was Animal that completely transformed Bobby’s image. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film featured Bobby in a brief but impactful antagonist role opposite Ranbir Kapoor.

Despite limited screen time, Bobby’s silent and violent character Abrar became one of the most talked-about aspects of the film. Animal went on to collect more than Rs 900 crore worldwide and gave Bobby a new identity as one of Indian cinema’s most exciting villain actors.



Following the success of the film, Bobby continued expanding into multiple industries. He made his Tamil debut with Kanguva starring Suriya. Although the film underperformed commercially, Bobby’s antagonist role received praise from audiences.

The actor was also recently seen in Aryan Khan's The B***ds of Bollywood and now has several high-profile projects lined up. His upcoming slate includes Bandar directed by Anurag Kashyap and YRF’s spy thriller Alpha starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh.

After years of setbacks, Bobby Deol’s journey has now become one of Bollywood’s biggest comeback stories.