Deepak Dobriyal of Sector 36: I never asked for recognition, the era of struggle is over
In an exclusive interview with us, Deepak Dobriyal opens up about being labelled as an ‘underrated’ actor. He opens up about his state of mind while working on a bloody film like Sector 36 and expresses his happiness that he is finally in a position where he can take his own decisions at work.
Actor Deepak Dobriyal has spent over a decade in the film industry. Known for playing diverse characters on screen, the actor plays a police officer in his new Netflix film Sector 36. In an exclusive chat with India Today Digital, he spoke at length about his ambitions, his past struggles, the ‘underrated’ tag people give him, and finally being in a position where he can make his own decisions by rejecting and accepting films.
For Deepak, Sector 36 is an opportunity to break away from his popular screen image. Excerpts from the interview:
What is your reaction to the appreciation that Sector 36 is receiving?
I am so happy that I can’t put it into words. I keep replying to everyone’s messages. When I wake up in the morning, there are so many appreciative messages in my inbox. It is a very grateful situation as a human being and as an actor.
When you first accepted this film, did you expect this kind of appreciation?
There was no expectation. This kind of appreciation from everyone is bigger than one can imagine. I used to think that no one can appreciate my work better than me, but I am surprised by the appreciation I get from others. I think I have surprised them in the sense that I have given them something different to absorb. People have their own perceptions about the kind of roles I can play and the work I can do. Sector 36 changed all that.
I play a grey character here. He is a corrupt man, but he still has a heart. Humanity is not over.
Please tell us about your process of playing a character, especially a serious character like Ram Charan Pandey in Sector 36.
I always go back to my old learnings. I remember what our teachers told us. I believe in making my own sketch of the person I am playing. This is my first step towards surrendering to that character. I try to understand that personality in my own language. I break the borrowed image of these roles. For example, if I am playing a cop, I will first put all the screen references in front of me. Then, I will start analysing them according to the needs of my role. I will think whether my cop is a heroic, larger-than-life person or someone very grounded and real. This helps me differentiate. It is like taking a bucket and pouring my own elements into it till it is completely filled. At the end of this process, I become that character. So, whatever he is doing now is completely his, not me.
Even when I make remakes, I follow the same process. I remove borrowed images and scenes.
Have you reached that stage of your career where you can easily say no to films?
I am a very expressive person. I like to make people around me laugh. I am very easy to interact with. This makes them think that I am easily available. And then when I say no to their films, their perceptions are shattered. They are shocked. This even upsets many. All I want to do is stay true to my stories and characters. In fact, many people believe that I can never sign a bad film. However, this is not true. I have done some bad films too (laughs).
I think with a clear mind and a positive heart. This belief makes me stronger. People want to see a powerful personality, someone who looks attractive and is full of strength. I am a very happy person, and no one expects me to refuse them. They may not consider me a coincidence, but it is very difficult for them to take me seriously. I have faced this in my career.
But doesn’t saying ‘no’ close many doors in professional life?
Yes, many people close doors in front of you when you start refusing them. But, I believe that a person who really believes in your work will always come back to you. There have been many times when I rejected someone’s film, and then they realised that maybe they have a better role for me in some other film, and they offered me a new project knowing my potential. And if it is a good script, why wouldn’t I do it?
My openness makes people take me lightly. They like people who live a different life. I believe in keeping my work special and life open. I think there is more to learn and less to show off.
With films like Sector 36, do you finally see filmmakers giving you important roles, where you are not seen as maybe just a comic relief or a secondary character in the story?
I am honestly grateful that such stories are coming my way. I am no longer seen as the comic relief in a film, not that I regret anything I did in the past. But, when your filmmaker shows faith in you and your audience shows that kind of acceptance, it always feels special. When I was doing Bhola, people told me to wait and not accept anything at will. I waited for many projects. I sometimes even regret losing films because I had got a lot of good work at that time. I kept waiting, and later nothing good came my way.
Do opportunities like these make you more expressive as an actor, and give you more freedom?
I feel free as an actor at this stage of my life. Today I have the freedom to choose and reject. I am no longer in my struggling phase. It feels good, of course. I might regret rejecting a project later, but I am happy that I can make that choice for myself today. It also gives me a lot of confidence as an actor. I get a lot of work. People underestimate me, but honestly, I have a lot of work. The industry has loved me. I just don’t want to repeat myself. I want to break my image on screen.
In what sense do you feel free?
I was never interested in conventional studies as a child. I have always been a learner. I don’t live with a result-oriented mindset. What’s the fun in constantly asking yourself ‘Am I passing’, ‘Have I passed that?’. It’s fun to think beyond that. I don’t look for validation. I have heard actors giving shots and asking others if they have done a good job. I don’t do that. I know what I do and what I have done. I never ask anyone to validate my work. These opportunities have given me such confidence and freedom.
Aditya Nimbalkar said that you were the one who chose him for Sector 36, not anyone else. How do you feel about this?
You know directors like Anurag Kashyap, Ram Gopal Varma want to work with the best talents from every field. They want to be the first to work with these talented people. I want Aditya Nimbalkar to achieve similar success. He should set new standards in filmmaking, and he will. He has a lot of potential. He is very subtle, and he makes you work very smartly. He will soon become a big director.