Abhay Deol reveals he escaped to New York as he did not want fame and stardom: 'I was getting drunk, not working, and being terrible with my money'

Actor Abhay Deol recently opened up about his brief hiatus from the industry and the struggles he faced with fame. Ahead of the release of his breakthrough film, 'Dev D' in 2009, the actor decided to leave the limelight and move to New York. He has now shared that the reason was to distance himself from the overwhelming attention that came with stardom.
In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Abhay shared insights into his decision to step away at the peak of his career. He recalled, “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 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.”
The actor revealed that his internal struggles played a significant role in his decision to leave. After dealing with the inner conflict, he focused a lot on the negatives. He had many issues to resolve within himself and decided to run away. “I was afraid of being famous and everything that came with it,” he explained.

Abhay is the son of actor-director Ajit Deol and Usha Deol. He is also the nephew of veteran star Dharmendra and cousin to actors Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Esha Deol. Abhay’s upbringing in a film-centric family gave him early exposure to the realities of fame, shaping his perception of stardom. Unlike many who initially chase recognition, he was never fascinated by it, having witnessed its downsides firsthand. He acknowledged that fame had the potential to bring him down, yet he struggled to navigate the industry. He was unsure how to deal with its pressures.
Abhay admitted that his departure from Bollywood was a response to the emotional turmoil he faced. He called it a trauma response. He further revealed that he did not regret the decision and did not care about stardom—he only cared about acting.
Eventually, the actor decided to return to India and resume his career. “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. I knew it wasn’t going to be permanent; it was a temporary escape,” he added.
Abhay Deol has starred in several notable films, including Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dev.D, Happy Bhag Jayegi, Shanghai, and Raanjhanaa.