Karan Deol: After my debut, I was left on my own, watching my acting videos reinstilled my confidence

When life knocks you down, you give it another shot. And that’s exactly what actor Karan Deol believes in. He utilised the lockdown period to not just prep for his next film, but also gather back his confidence after his debut film Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019) didn’t quite meet the expectations at the box office.

The actor tells us, “After my debut, I was left on my own. I’ve been taking all decisions on my own. Dad (actor Sunny Deol) said, ‘You be your own person, take your own calls, learn from your mistakes’. That’s the only way. Especially with what happened, right after Pal Pal Dil… , there was the pandemic and we were restricted to our homes.”

The 30-year-old adds that the subsequent lockdown gave him time to think and reflect on the choices he wants to make in his career.

“I was with my chacha (Bobby Deol), dada (Dharmendra) and papa… there was the whole family vibe. I watched my old acting videos I did in film school. I saw how happy I was. I started acting because I love it, so I can’t let anything put me down. It reinstilled confidence in me. Somehow through lockdown, I recharged myself. I got into a positive headspace to go another round,” says junior Deol.

The actor also started his training as a boxer for his next, the sequel to Apne (2007). “I would never give up. I’ve learnt from all my family members to never do that. I’d get back harder at it, and really do what I love in life,” he assures.

And his inspiration to keep his training going no matter what, even during these tough times, were people from the fraternity and is own family. His dad had played a boxer in the original Apne.

“I saw Farhan (Akhtar, actor) sir in Toofan. He had a certain attitude and mindset that when you come out, you’ve to look like a fighter. It was physically taxing, and at the end of the evening, you just want to give up. But you wake up in the morning again and prep for it,” he signs off.