Actor Bobby Deol is clearing the air on a long-running perception that he would often give his female co-stars a hard time on set, from Twinkle Khanna and Rani Mukerji to Preity Zinta and Manisha Koirala. He also revealed the surprising reason he once refused to shoot an intimate scene with Manisha.
Bobby Deol on prankster reputation
In an episode of Aap Ki Adalat, Bobby looked back at the gossip that he used to be a prankster who would leave his female co-stars exasperated on set. In a segment of the show, Bobby was accused of constantly fighting with his film’s female leads.
Asked about the rumours of him having small fights with Twinkle during Barsaat’s filming, Bobby said, “We were both quite young at that time. I am sorry, but I have had stomach problems since childhood. I used to keep talking about my stomach issues, if I used washroom today, if I am going to, or how it was. She used to get irritated by this. So, when she have her first interview for the film, she revealed that I have such a problem. I called her and said, ‘How can you say it in an interview?’ We were so young, it was nothing.”
Bobby played the lead role in the 1997 iconic superhit film Gupt: The Hidden Truth, alongside Kajol and Manisha Koirala. The thriller was directed by Rajiv Rai. It also featured Om Puri, Paresh Rawal, Dalip Tahil, Prem Chopra and Priya Tendulkar. The movie also has Raj Babbar and Kulbhushan Kharbanda in extended cameo.
Recalling how he refused to do an intimate scene with Manisha due to bad breath, Bobby shared, “Yes, I remember. It was cold when we were shooting and there was someone selling chana zor garam, and she was eating it with great pleasure. There was a whole scene pending, where she had to bite on my chin during the song. I was unable to give any expressions due to the smell of onions from her mouth. How do I take revenge on her? There was a scene happening inside the college, where her brother or someone comes to beat me. He was a new actor, so I told him to eat onions to improve his acting. I made him eat so many onions, but when he gave the shot, Manisha did not behave any difference. You are immature at that age.”
Bobby Deol’s recent projects
On the work front, Bobby will soon be seen in Bandar. The trailer of the project introduced him as Sameer Mehra, a wannabe rockstar accused of sexual assault. Bandar also marks the first collaboration between him and Anurag Kashyap. The screenplay comes from writers Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, the creative team behind projects like Paatal Lok, Kohrra and Udta Punjab. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on June 5, 2026.
He will also be seen in Yash Raj Films’ upcoming spy thriller, Alpha. The film, which stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, is the first female-led spy thriller from the YRF stable. Alpha is directed by Shiv Rawail and is set to release in theatres on July 10.