Abhay Deol on cover of The Man : Bollywood News

Its noon at the sprawling Deol estate in Juhu, Mumbai. Pictures of their scion, Dharmendra give you sharp looks from the walls around. Abhay Deol is usually never late, his manager and the familys manager for over 30 years, informs me. Yeah, I know. Our last two meetings, the latter of which was probably one of the wildest shoots Ive ever seen in progress, were as clockwork and precise as a Swiss watch. Its also rather strange that the Deol oddball isnt at family lunch in the dining room outside - Abhay rarely misses a family meal despite moving out of the large joint family estate and living on his own. As I converse with an age-ing stuntman and one of Dharmendras closest aides, Abhay hurries in. Hes been busy trying to re-schedule a Krav Maga lesson and other commitments just to make this interview. In a t-shirt and pair of jeans with a bag slung across his shoulder, hes an everyman - someone who doesnt afflict you with whiplash as he passes by despite his tall, lean structure and features uncannily akin to younger version of his uncle, Dharmendra. In short hes the opposite of what a Deol is commonly perceived as. The youngest of the Deol men, hes not a beefy, brawny action star or a love-struck Romeo. Hes just another guy - a disarming tactic hes perfected over the years. After courteously greeting his manager and his uncles friend and a few quick apologies, Abhay guides me into a less daunt-ing living room sans the award figurines and portraits of his family.

As lunch wraps up at the Deol household and his cousin Bobby heads out, Abhay lounges back in a chair and dumps the bag on another. Looking around, this rather opulent setting is quite the opposite of his indie avatar. Its also quite strange that hes moved out of this castle. Ive been living on my own since I was 18. So Ive been quite independent for a while now. Having studied in LA and spent a year in New York on his own, the Deols have stopped being overprotective and have let go of their youngest brother. It would be a waste of their time and energy, Abhay adds. With a hands-on approach to everything, he even did his own apartments in New York and Mumbai - something he kicks himself for- because of the work involved- albeit with a proud smile.

Courtesy - The Man