I
Was
Too
Old-Fashioned
And
Couldn't
Keep
Up
With
The
Quickly
Changing
Times
On
being
asked
why
he
suddenly
stopped
doing
films,
Bobby
answered,
"I
guess
I
was
too
old-fashioned,
couldn't
keep
up
with
the
quickly
changing
times.
In
my
time,
the
90s,
everything
was
slow.
People
didn't
talk
about
themselves
all
the
time.
Your
work
did
the
talking.
It
was
rare
to
see
or
access
a
star
and
that
made
being
one
very
interesting.
There
was
no
social
media,
no
internet,
things
were
generally
simpler.
Suddenly,
there
was
this
transition
and
I
couldn't
adapt
to
it.
But
now,
I
want
to
change
that.
I
really,
really
want
to
change
that."
I
didn't
even
realize
when
my
career
started
slipping
away.
You
usually
don't.
Work
slows
down
and
before
you
know
it,
you
are
sitting
at
home
more
than
hanging
out
on
film
sets.
I
used
to
ask
myself:
What's
wrong
with
you,
Bobby?
Why
aren't
you
getting
work?
Add
to
it
the
speculations
and
stories
people
spin
around
you.
People
Thought
I
Was
A
Rich
Spoilt
Brat
Who
Didn't
Want
To
Work
The
actor
added,
"There
were
stories
about
my
unprofessionalism.
People
thought
I
am
a
rich
spoilt
brat
who
was
happy
with
life
and
who
didn't
want
to
work.
They
thought
I
am
extremely
lazy.
I
don't
know
why
people
thought
that.
I
have
never
delayed
a
film
in
my
life.
Ask
my
producers,
I
was
always
on
time.
But
it's
easy
to
believe
a
negative
story
and
the
faster
it
travels,
fiction
turns
into
fact
and
it's
an
endless
cycle."
I
Can't
Push
My
Director-Producer
Friends
To
Cast
Me
In
Films
On
being
asked
if
he
called
up
any
of
his
industry
friends
to
cast
me
in
their
films,
Bobby
said,
"I
did
that.
It
didn't
help.
I
spoke
to
all
my
director-producer
friends.
I
told
them:
give
me
a
good
role,
it
doesn't
have
to
be
the
lead.
And
they're
like,
"Haan,
pukka,
pukka"
and
"Arrey,
sure.
Let's
do
something."
But
it
was
all
lip-service
and
I
don't
even
blame
them.
I
can't
push
them
to
cast
me.
I've
met
them
and
I'll
meet
them
again
and
ask
them
again
for
work.
I
cannot
sit
at
home.
All
these
years
I
have
just
sat
at
home.
What'll
keep
me
busy?
There's
no
work."
I
Was
On
The
Verge
Of
Becoming
A
Total
Alcoholic
The
actor
further
opened
up
about
his
depressing
phase
and
said,
"There
was
a
particular
phase
where
I
turned
to
the
bottle
and
was
on
the
verge
of
becoming
a
total
alcoholic.
My
wife,
Tanya,
who
is
the
most
beautiful
person
in
the
whole
world,
a
source
of
constant
support,
told
me,
"What're
you
doing?
This
isn't
going
to
help.
Why
are
you
being
so
self-destructive?"
And
I
am
like,
I
was
looking
after
myself
for
so
long,
kya
hua?
Did
the
producers
and
directors
chase
me?
No.
And
then
there
was
an
awakening.
I
was
like,
Fuck
this
shit.
I
am
not
going
to
sulk
in
self-pity.
Not
working
makes
you
ill,
sad,
depressed.
It
ages
you.
I
am
going
to
bounce
back
no
matter
what."
I
Couldn't
Get
Myself
To
Watch
Imtiaz
Ali's 'Highway'
Because
I
Was
To
Do
That
Film
Bobby
said,
"Alia
Bhatt
is
amazing.
So
are
the
rest
of
them.
But
I
still
feel
there's
something
missing
in
them.
I
wanted
to
watch
Alia's
Highway
but
I
couldn't
get
myself
to.
I
was
to
do
it.
I
was
also
to
do
Jab
We
Met.
Back
then,
it
was
titled
Geet.
I
had
seen
Socha
Na
Tha
and
instantly
reached
out
to
Imtiaz
saying
that
he's
an
incredible
storyteller
with
a
terrific
future.
I
told
him
that
I
wanted
to
work
with
him
and
he
had
the
script
of
(what
is
now)
Jab
We
Met
ready.
He
was
looking
for
financiers.
There
was
a
studio
called
Shri
Ashtavinayak
who
wanted
to
sign
me.
I
told
them
that
let's
sign
Imtiaz.
He
has
a
script
ready.
And
let's
talk
to
Kareena
Kapoor
(Bobby
had
worked
with
Bebo
in
Ajnabee).
The
producers
were
like,
oh
no,
that
guy
will
make
an
expensive
film.
Kareena,
on
the
other
hand,
didn't
even
want
to
meet
Imtiaz.
I
took
them
to
Preity
(his
close
friend
and
Soldier
co-star).
She
agreed
but
said
she
can
do
it
only
after
6
months.
So
we
were
stuck.
Days
passed.
And
suddenly
I
read
that
Ashtavinayak
has
signed
Imtiaz
for
Jab
We
Met
and
Kareena
is
doing
the
film!
And
she
had
gotten
her
then
boyfriend,
Shahid
Kapoor
to
act
opposite
her.
I
was
like,
wow.
Quite
an
industry.
We
were
also
to
do
Highway
together
but
he
again
did
his
own
thing.
But
I
have
no
hard
feelings
against
him.
He
is
a
great
director
and
doing
so
well.
We're
still
friends.
But
I
always
tell
him:
'Imtiaz,
I
won't
watch
any
of
your
films
until
you
make
one
with
me.
That'll
be
your
best
film."