Bobby Deol says dad Dharmendra was 'never a friend', calls Sunny Deol second 'father figure'

Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol

Bobby Deol, who began his career in the 90s and returned to acting after a break, talked about growing up as Dharmendra's son. He shared how their home was always full of strangers and how he grew up feeling intimidated by his famous father. In an interview, he mentioned they didn't spend much time together when he was a kid, but now things have changed, and they're closer.

Bobby Deol on his equation with Dharmendra and Sunny

Bobby Deol talked about how his relationship with his brother Sunny Deol and their father has changed over time during an interview on the Humans of Bombay YouTube channel. "There's a big age difference between me and my brother. He's the eldest and I'm the youngest. So, he's always treated me like a son. He's always been protective about me, he's always correcting me and saying that I get the best. It took a long time for me to get close to him, to become a friend. I had two father figures in my house," Bobby said.

When asked if his dad Dharmendra was strict with him, Bobby replied, "That was normal then. It was also because my dad came from a small town. The society, and the culture, and the way people thought and lived was very different in small towns. The city changes your whole life. His dad was always strict with him, so it came naturally to him. My dad wasn't strict, but he was never a friend while growing up. He was very busy, he was always at work. I would get to see him only for a few hours, and that would also be late at night or early in the morning."

Bobby said the roles have now reversed. "When you're growing up, you get confused between respect and being scared. But it wasn't being scared. It was respect, but we didn't know how to communicate easily with our parents. But the story has changed now. The whole thing is reversed. They've become older, so vulnerable. You have to look after them. Things change, that's the circle of life."

Veteran star Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur in 1953 when he was yet to make his Bollywood debut. Apart from Sunny, Dharmendra also has a son Bobby Deol and daughters Vijeta and Ajeita with his first wife. However, while working in films, Dharamendra's closeness with the famous actress Hema Malini started growing and in 1980 the two tied the knot.

(With inputs from ANI)