Abhay Deol made us fall in love with him the moment he made his debut with Socha Na Tha. And now, 15 years later, the actor still has us crushing on him.
This time though, it isn’t because of his acting skills or his next film. It’s the actor’s unfiltered and honest opinions that have us gushing over this perfect man.
From refusing mainstream roles and not seeing himself as a Bollywood star, this actor has set the standards too high in the industry.
I don’t see myself being perceived as a Bollywood star and I wouldn’t want to be that either.
-Abhay Deol told The Hindu
He refused stardom, despite coming from a family in the industry and instead used his fanbase on social media to openly talk about issues like wage gap, sexism, colourism and patriarchy in the industry.
We wait for somebody else, we are not proactive on our own. The pay should depend on the job at hand but not on one’s sex.
-Abhay Deol to Huffington Post
The actor has stood up against the blatant stalking glamorised in Bollywood movies and even pointed out the sexism that exists in our society.
Sometimes we are sexist without knowing it simply because of our conditioning and when someone points it out you should have an open mind to see, ‘Oh is that true? Is that even possible?’ And only if you are open to seeing your faults can you see them and when you do, you grow in leaps and bounds. That conditioning then just dies in a moment.
-Abhay Deol to Huffington Post
In light of the latest Black Lives Matter protests, the actor called out famous Indian celebrities who were quick to talk about the issues in the west but ignored what happened in India during the lockdown.
Create your own actions, your own movement, relevant to your own country.
Soon after, the actor made a post about Indian celebrities who promote fairness creams in the country and back brands who think ‘fair is lovely.’ He even provided statistics of how the actor’s promoting these brands have boosted the sales and demand.
This isn’t the first time the actor has voiced his opinion about India being inherently racist. In 2017, the actor shared a series of fairness cream ads promoting ‘skin whitening’ on his Facebook page. He also went on to sarcastically call out the brands and actors for stating that your skin tone defines who you are.
In a flock of sheep like actors, Abhay Deol hasn’t just been extremely cautious about the roles he picks but also continues to use his platform to voice his opinion when it matters. His Instagram page feels like it belongs to an NGO, with a grid that just has helpline numbers and donation links on it.
The actor – who has been called a “lazy talented actor” by his filmmakers in the past has even agreed to the term. But is quick to say that it isn’t his laziness that holds him back, but the system where he doesn’t fit in.
Despite 15 years in the industry, the actor hasn’t done as many films as we would want him to. And maybe his vocal opinions and his devil-may-care attitude about norms of the industry are the reason behind it. That doesn’t stop us from loving this rebel with a cause.