How a viral airport video helped Bobby Deol to bag Suriya's Kanguva

Bollywood star Bobby Deol has reinvented his career by embracing morally ambiguous and darker roles. He will next be seen portraying a ruthless warlord in the upcoming Tamil movie Kanguva.

Casting Bobby Deol may seem like a strategic move by director Siva and producer KE Gnanavel Raja to leverage his newfound popularity across India, especially after the phenomenal success of Animal. However, it appears this wasn’t the case. Siva reportedly cast Bobby after seeing a video of him walking at an airport.

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"The full credit for bringing in Bobby Deol should go to Siva sir. He saw a video of Bobby Deol walking into the airport and liked his swag. He was able to connect that swag with Uthiran (Bobby’s character). We actually signed him before Animal. We had completed 70 percent of the shoot before Animal even released," said Gnanavel Raja.

Following the release of Animal, Gnanavel recalled that shooting locations were swarmed with about 300 fans daily, eager to meet Bobby and take selfies with him.

While Suriya's popularity is enough for Kanguva to open strong in South Indian states, Bobby Deol is expected to give the movie an additional edge in the Hindi belt.

Suriya shared his experience of working with Bobby, describing him as "sweet," which contrasts sharply with the diabolical characters he portrays on screen. "He's an open book. He will tell you his whole story. He's vulnerable and shares all his ups and downs. He makes you feel like you have known him for decades," said Suriya.

The producers are planning a major launch in Hindi, with active promotion for Kanguva in the Hindi-speaking regions.

Kanguva is set to release in cinemas on November 15.

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