From Betabiyan To Jamal Kudu: The Curious Journey Of 90s Heartthrob Who Is Now 'Lord Bobby Deol'

Novelty sunglasses, curly hair, and a mysterious smile - style comes naturally to Bobby Deol! From Duniya Hasino Ka Mela to Betabiyan, his dance steps--which many would argue weren't dance steps--have been living rent-free in our head (including his entry in Animal on song Jamal Kudu).

Bobby Deol was a rage back in the 90s. But then, what happened to him?

From 90s Heartthrob to Lord Bobby Deol!

Twitter

The answer, as per popular belief, is haircut!

A lot of people believe that the one move that changed his life and career was his haircut. He looked badass in long hair. What followed next was a string of flops like Aashiq, Humraaz, Kismat, Tango Charlie and Bardaasht. "All my co-stars loved my curly hair. I always wanted straight hair but everybody loved my curly hair and complimented me for my look. People would think only Bobby Deol could carry long hair. My image is such that it just looked best on me," he had once told TOI in an interview.

After a lull, he just vanished into thin hair.

Where was he, what was he doing? Nobody knew. With Khans and Khiladi Kumar taking over he industry, everyone forgot the magic that Bobby would create on the big screen. He wasn't a spectacular actor but there was something about him that kept people intrigued. His one look could swoon anybody.

And then 'DJ Bobby Deol' made his debut!

TOI

After a string of flops, he faded away into oblivion. Following Thank You, Players and Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, his career took a hit. And then in 2016, he was trending all over social media again. Thanks to his DJing gig. It was reported that he turned DJ at a club in Delhi and played Gupt songs on a loop until the wee hours of the morning. The crowd went mad, literally! They were asking for a refund. The tickets, it was said, were priced between Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000. Later, Bobby clarified that he wasn't ever a DJ and didn't even play, but the damage was already done, and it was beyond repair.

Lord Bobby Deol's impact on the desi pop culture!

Bobby Deol was a pro at Covid testing long before the virus even came into existence. pic.twitter.com/vc3r4rroME

¡ª Sukanya Verma (@SukanyaVerma) January 9, 2021

And soon, he became popular in the meme world, even when he wasn't doing movies. He would be referred to as Lord Bobby Deol - just like how Himesh Reshamiya has got the same title in the past few years. He was a hit meme material. While people were enjoying the memes, the actor on the other hand was in a dark phase of his life and had turned to alcoholism. "When you pity yourself, you will start cursing the world around you. That is what happened with me for two-three years. I started pitying myself and thought that no one wanted to work with me so I relied on alcohol. I started numbing myself and then one day I realised where I was wrong when I saw it in my kids¡¯ eyes that our father stays home all day long," he was quoted as saying by Bollywood Hungama. When his kids started asking why he doesn't go out for work, that's when he realised he needs to change this.

Do you know his fans are called Boobians?

Twitter

Well, the term just like his recent movie Animal is controversial (and problematic too). His fans could have called themselves simply Bobbians, right? Interestingly, the man himself is aware of it. In the recent episode of Koffee With Karan, he even mentioned about it. Looks like he doesn't have a problem with it.

And then came the drool-worthy transformation - his big comeback!

Instagram

He then turned back to the movies. Salman Khan's Race 3 was a game-changer for him. The film was mocked savagely. Remember, "our business is our business and none of your business"? It was called a cringe film, but the movie marked Bobby's comeback in a different avatar. He had transformed completely. His chiseled physique became one of the talking points of the movie, but it couldn't revive his career.

With Class of '83, Love Hostel and web series like Aashram, he once again made his presence felt.

Bobbywood era pic.twitter.com/i82Wm2vBL4

¡ª Bobbywood (@Bobbywood_) November 25, 2023

Amid all this, his dance steps from some of his popular songs were a staple in the world of memes. In 2022, he revealed that in the song Betabiyaan (Mushkil Bada Yeh Pyar Hai from Gupt), he danced with a broken leg. Did you know this?

"I wore eight-nine pairs of black jeans for that one song. Then I broke my leg while shooting for Barsaat, my debut film, and Gupt was immediately after that. I had an accident on the former¡¯s last day, so Chinni and Rekha Prakash ji made those hand movements of mine, which became popular as 'Bobby Deol¡¯s style'", he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Lord Bobby as umpire pic.twitter.com/umN2xXjaF3

¡ª Bobbywood (@Bobbywood_) March 14, 2021

Bobby even knows why we love to see him dance!

He had once told TOI, "I am not a perfect dancer. I am not someone who is perfect with moves. I am not like Hrithik Roshan or Tiger Shroff who are extremely amazing dancers. But I don't think it is about being a perfect dancer, it is about how you enjoy the song. Even my brother is a not good dancer, but when he does the steps, people enjoy seeing him and the same thing goes for my dad, even though he is not a great dancer whenever he dances people go crazy looking at him. So it's all about enjoying it."

No chance this tops this Lord Bobby video ???? #Boobians #BobbyDeol https://t.co/vPu2gHdr0E pic.twitter.com/kx1LDlymZE

¡ª S?????? (@shonti90) December 10, 2023

The Baap of Comebacks!

From Barsaat to Bichhoo, his movies might have flopped at the box office, but his swag was always appreciated. Even now, when Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal has been released, his small role is being more talked about. Did he steal Ranbir's thunder in the movie for you? A lot of people would agree.

With a journey full of so many bumps, twists, and turns, Bobby Deol has always had an impact on the desi pop culture. He has stood his ground, hasn't ever had starry air around him despite being a star kid, and has always remained humble and grounded. He rightly deserves the title of Lord Bobby. After all, Boobians have grown multifold in numbers since Animal was released. From his dance steps to his fashion sense, Bobby Deol is the ultimate king of swag.

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