Navigating hardships: Sector 36 actor Deepak Dobriyal’s path to recognition

Actor Deepak Dobriyal, who has been a part of the film industry for over a decade, is widely recognised for his relatable on-screen characters. In his latest Netflix film, Sector 36, he takes on the role of a cop, marking a significant transformation in his career.

For Deepak Dobriyal, Sector 36 represents a chance to break away from his usual screen image, he revealed in a recent interview. He expressed his joy, saying, “I am so happy I can’t express it in words. I keep responding to everyone’s messages. I wake up to so many appreciative messages in my inbox. It is a grateful position to be in as a human being and as an actor.”

When asked if he anticipated such adulation upon accepting the film, Deepak Dobriyal admitted, “None of it was expected.” This kind of compliment from everyone is bigger than anyone can imagine.

Deepak Dobriyal said that he used to think no one else could appreciate his work better than himself, he said, but he was surprised at the kind of appreciation he got from others. I think I have surprised them by offering something different. People have their own perceptions about the roles I can perform. Sector 36 changed all of that.”

In Sector 36, Dobriyal plays a grey character—a corrupt man with a heart. He explained his process of getting into the skin of such an intense character, saying, “I always go back to my age-old learnings.” He creates his own sketch of the person he is playing.

He decodes that personality in his own language and breaks the borrowed image of these roles, he added. For example, if he is playing a cop, he first puts all the screen references in front of him and then dissects them as per the requirements of the role. This helps me with the separation. At the end of the process, he becomes that character.

Regarding his ability to reject films, Deepak Dobriyal shared, “I am a very expressive person.” He said he wanted to make people laugh around him. This makes them believe he is easily available, but their perceptions are broken when he says no to their films, he said, this upsets many people. All Deepak Dobriyal wants to do is stay true to the stories and roles he is doing.

Deepak Dobriyal added, “Saying ‘no’ does shut many doors, but I believe that those who truly have faith in your work will always come back. Sometimes, rejecting a film leads to being offered a better role in another project. If it is a good script, why would not I do it?