Abhay Deol 'ran away' from Mumbai as he found it 'hard to deal with fame' around Dev D release: 'Was only getting drunk'

Abhay Deol-starrer Dev D was a critical and commercial success when it was released in 2009.

Actor Abhay Deol has opened up on the time in his life when he felt overwhelmed by the fame and attention that was to come his way after the release of Dev D. The film was a cult success and put the actor on the map, but Abhay said he was so unable to deal with the changes that he left Mumbai and fled to New York. (

Abhay Deol rose to fame in 2008-09 with Dev D and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye.

Abhay Deol's candid confession

In an interaction with Humans of Bombay, Abhay revealed how he had an inclination that Anurag Kashyap's Dev D would go big and change his life and career. The 2009 film was a success.

“I was finding it hard to deal with the attention and fame because I started getting flashbacks of when I was a kid. I was a sensitive child, and I didn’t like the attention. I liked the art, creativity and medium. I knew that Dev D was going to be big, but I didn’t want to be famous. But at the same time, I wanted to act. There was a conflict within me. I focused a lot on the negatives. I hadn’t resolved many issues, so I just ran away because I was afraid of being famous and everything that came with it,” Abhay said, adding that he went to New York at the time and lived there for a while.

However, the actor added that he knew it wasn't a permanent move, and he decided to move back and resume acting when he realised he was in a downward spiral.

“I knew I wasn’t going to stay there. I was just in New York playing the part I played in Dev D, getting drunk, not working and being terrible with my money. It was a waste in that sense. I won’t call it a waste now because I learnt something, but it was destructive. I wanted to come back home and continue to earn and support myself and my family. There are responsibilities; you have to come back. This is a make-believe world. I knew it wasn’t going to be permanent; it was a temporary escape,” said Abhay.

About Dev D

Dev D, written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, is a modern-day adaptation of Sarat Chandra's novel Devdas. The film also starred Mahie Gill and Kalki Koechlin in lead roles. A small-budget independent film, Dev D earned ₹20 crore at the box office and won several major awards, including a National Film Award and six Filmfare Awards.