Veteran actor Dharmendra, one of Bollywood’s most beloved stars, has always been vocal about his protective instincts as a father — particularly when it comes to shielding his children from the complexities of the film world. Interestingly, despite his intentions, three of his children — Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Esha Deol — all eventually found their own paths as lead actors in the industry.
In a recent conversation with Instant Bollywood, Bobby Deol reflected on how his father, from a young age, tried to distance him from the glamour and social circles of Bollywood. Sharing a childhood memory, Bobby revealed, “Whenever there was a birthday party for a star kid, my dad would never allow me to attend. I used to feel really bad about it back then and I even tell him now, ‘You shouldn’t have done that!’ But as time passed, it became normal for me, and I stopped thinking about it.”
Bobby explained the reasoning behind Dharmendra’s decision, saying that his father believed the film industry often came with a layer of artificiality. “He always felt the industry was full of pretense — banawati log. That’s why he wanted to keep us away from that side of it,” he added.
Describing their home life, Bobby pointed out that their household environment was far from what people might expect from a star family. There were no movie-themed conversations at the dinner table, no parties filled with celebrities, and no atmosphere of showbiz glamour. “We grew up in a very simple, grounded way. Our home was just like any other normal household. We weren’t raised in the middle of film industry glitz,” Bobby said.
Even though acting was never forced upon them, Bobby couldn’t help but notice the deep admiration people had for his father. He recalled how, as a child, he would be awestruck seeing the crowds gather outside their house or watching his father get showered with love on film sets. “I always wondered, why is everyone so drawn to him? Why does my father get so much love from people?” he reflected.
Despite Dharmendra’s initial efforts to shield his children from the industry’s spotlight, fate had other plans, and the Deol siblings have since carved out their own places in the world their father once tried to keep them away from.
