Trial By Fire| Abhay Deol: Had a hate relationship with fame, because...

Abhay Deol remembers how sad he felt when he played a parent who lost his children in the fire at the Uphaar Cinema in Delhi in 1997. He adds as he prepares to portray the difficulties Shekhar Krishnamoorthy faced in his legal dispute with the theatre owners in Trial by Fire in the Netflix series.

The actor told Mid Day that it's not a position he could conquer. Deol says that he had to put some distance between himself and the pain he felt to play the heartbroken but strong parent well. Although it was overwhelming, one eventually has to push that notion to the side. That is one of his favourite aspects of his job: acting keeps him from thinking about these things because they are irrelevant at the time. The thrill of the craft is that one becomes the person experiencing the loss.

Deol claims that in his 17 years in the film business, he deliberately sought out risky, outside-the-box projects like this one to feed his creative urges. The actor lists himself as one of those who have shunned stardom. Fame and wealth were never the primary motivators for him. Deol had a dislike for fame as a child because he was surrounded by it and saw the toll it took on others. As a result, he made these obscene or unusual decisions.

The actor didn't let the decisions his famous uncle Dharmendra or cousins Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol made in the business influence him. He says that in each role, he prioritised vulnerability over desirability.

Deol went on to say that actors spend a lot of time trying to appear attractive and appealing, but one can only go so far with this. If he were to play parts that required him to look attractive, he would prioritise his physical preparation. But he wanted to bear a character's vulnerability for himself. They are lucky to be able to feel what other people feel and be where other people are. One learns a lot about human psychology as their character develops.