For someone who came with just one dream – a dream role – Deepak Dobriyal breathes easy, understands the way forward, and signs on the dotted line only when he is confident about the script

When Deepak Dobriyal went on stage to collect his trophy for best performance in a comic role at a prestigious film awards ceremony, which was held recently in Dubai, he said: “Thank you. Thank you very much.” A man of few words, Dobriyal, clearly, lets his work do the talking. His work in the latest franchise of Tanu Weds Manu, directed by Anand L Rai that came out in 2011, has been praised endlessly. Although he charmed both audiences and film critics in the film, it was in Tanu Weds Manu Returns that people truly found him endearing. The dialogues got wittier in the sequel, more screen time was allotted to him and the director clearly engaged with Pappi (Dobriyal’s screen name in the two films). On social media sites we had Pappi memes, compilation of Pappi dialogues, and some even had parallel storyline plots where Pappi was doling serious relationship advice.

To be fair, Dobriyal had seen success earlier, too, with some seriously impressive performances in mainstream Hindi films such as Omkara, Delhi 6, and Gulaal, among others. But the taste of stardom, perhaps, came with Tanu Weds Manu. Given the success of the franchise, it’s no surprise then that the makers are already considering the film’s third installment. Dobriyal’s role, if there is any indication, may find more vigor and force.

The actor, who belongs to Kabra, a small village in Uttarakhand, grew up without thinking much about his future. He enjoyed being creative, he remembers, happy to watch films, read and step into theatre. Shifting from his village to Delhi where his father was posted, Dobriyal studied in various schools, including a government one in the Hauz Khas Village area. An average student, Dobriyal’s interest veered towards theatre at a fairly young age. He joined noted theatre artiste Arvind Gaur’s company, Asmita, and N K Sharma’s Act- One. For seven years, Dobriyal remained committed to theatre, working hard and understanding the nuances of the craft. It was during this time that he decided to become an actor. Theatre polished the actor in him even more — but couldn’t stop his struggle

To the city of dreams

It wasn’t easy convincing his family, but Dobriyal had made up his mind — he just wanted to be an actor. And although he wasn’t prepared for the struggle, he endured it, allowed it to shape and hone his skills. Changing more than 20 houses in nearly five years, Dobriyal struggled to make ends meet (“There was no support system, I was on my own,” he once said). In a city where people dream aplenty but reality can bite hard, Dobriyal found himself wondering how to move forward. The question of giving up, however, didn’t arise -- Dobriyal continued striving towards getting roles that would not just give him recognition but also fulfill his dream of doing meaningful roles as an actor. Nothing came easy, but Dobriyal continued to persevere.

The Hindi film industry is not an easy one to navigate; doors of dejection are aplenty and the only time people wake up to appreciate you is when you ring in the box office collections. Cynicism reigns in this part of the world and that’s why you are considered “good” when you’ve got an impressive list of signed films in your kitty.

For Dobriyal, too, the journey wasn’t different having faced rejection in the initial phase of his struggle. But once he arrived, well, he did. Watch him in Omkara, the Indian adaptation of Othello by Vishal Bharadwaj where he essays the role of the evil incarnate Raju effortlessly. Then there’s Kundan Shah’s Mumbai Cutting, an ensemble of short films released in 2010, where he does a mime, Chaplinesque act that I’d personally rate as one of my absolute favourites. It’s in those few minutes of the short film (the story is of Shah’s everyday “hero” who is trying to do the challenging job of getting into a local train of Mumbai even as he gets crushed and thrown around by the wave of humanity) that Dobriyal sincerely pulls out a performance that’s worthy of applause and standing ovation.

Interestingly, no two performances of Dobriyal (barring his role as Pappi in Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel) are alike, and those who have tracked his career graph know that he’s definitely going to do something totally different from one film to the other. “Not wanting to be typecast,” is the actor’s refrain as he prepares himself for some of his other forthcoming projects.

Recently, there was another short film, 11 minutes, which had Dobriyal with Sunny Leone and Alok Nath talking about the ills of smoking. Dobriyal is shown as a lanky cigarette-smoking addict in his village who tells his father (Alok Nath) that his dying wish is to marry the woman of his dreams (Sunny Leone). The anti-smoking film got quite a lot of traction on social media websites and the message (though delivered rather crudely, as some would suggest, was clear — each cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes).

There are other scripts that he’s reading, but essentially, Dobriyal is taking his time and understanding what he needs to work on next. One genuinely hopes that directors and filmmakers continue to script some of the most challenging and noteworthy roles for him.

For someone who came with just one dream — a dream role — Dobriyal breathes easy, understands the way forward, and signs on the dotted line only when he is confident about the script. No wonder this actor is writing a solid script for himself in the industry.