Bobby Deol, who recently featured in Aryan Khan’s directorial debut series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, revealed it has been over a year since he quit drinking. He opened up about his struggle with alcoholism and how it affected those closest to him. The actor revealed that during that period, his family lived in fear of him. “I’m working for my family. And if I see fear and sadness in their eyes… It’s not like I used to drink every day, but whenever I would, they would fear me. They just didn’t know how I would be. It’s horrible,” Bobby told Raj Shamani.
‘Alcohol is more addictive than drugs’
Calling alcohol the “biggest addiction,” the 56-year-old admitted he had underestimated its impact. “Alcohol is the biggest addiction; it’s more addictive than actual drugs. It messes with your brains like narcotics,” he shared.He recalled that the struggles in his family, including his brother Sunny and father Dharmendra facing their own challenges, weighed on him. “I was going through a bad time, my brother was going through a bad time, my dad was obviously not working as much. House was going through pressure. But my brother would never show us that pressure… Now I feel, ‘Why did they do that?’” Bobby reflected.
His son’s words changed everything
The turning point for Bobby came when his son made a remark that cut deep. “I used to be home, and one day I heard my son telling my wife, ‘You go out to work every day, but Papa only sits at home.’ And that changed everything for me. I just couldn’t handle that. What kind of father was I being?” he said.He admitted he had stopped caring about his appearance and health. “I did not see the mirror too often, to see how I was looking. And what was it I most liked for? My looks, more than my acting.”
Blaming the world and battling self-worth
The actor confessed that he had begun blaming the world for not recognising his potential. “You start believing that you’re worthless, and it brings you down. And because I’m so emotional, it made me weaker. Alcohol was my only support at that point,” he said.He admitted to feeling jealous of his contemporaries but eventually realised their success came from discipline and self-belief. “Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are who they are because of their self-belief and hard work. Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, my brother, Ranveer and Ranbir,” Bobby pointed out.
The pain his family endured
Bobby said the worst part was how his wife and family had to face his anger and frustration. “Only the people closest to you are exposed to that angry and dark side of you. My wife… It was anger, behaving badly, saying stupid things. That’s what alcohol does to you. People think alcohol makes people say the truth, but it’s not the truth; it’s the pain inside you coming out. But those closest to you face the brunt of it,” he admitted.The actor added he has now left drinking behind. “That’s why I finally stopped drinking. It’s been more than a year,” he revealed.
Back on track
Bobby is now channeling his energy into work. He was recently seen in Aryan Khan’s directorial debut series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which released on September 18, 2025. The show features Lakshya Lalwani, Raghav Juyal, Sahherr Bambba, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Manish Chaudhari, Rajat Bedi and others in key roles.
