Bobby Deol's ‘they all become ministers’ remark about Vijay and other south stars goes viral

Bobby Deol has opened up about an unusual coincidence involving his South Indian co-stars. Speaking about Vijay, Nandamuri Balakrishna and Pawan Kalyan, the actor joked that they all ended up becoming ministers after working with him.

The actor, who has appeared in several major South films following the success of ‘Animal’ in 2023, recently joked that almost every leading star he has worked with has gone on to hold a ministerial post.

His latest release, Jana Nayagan, sees him sharing screen space with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, adding another name to what he called a rather funny coincidence.

Jana Nayagan finally hit theatres on Wednesday after being delayed by six months. The film has drawn attention not only because it marks Vijay's final film before focusing fully on politics, but also because of the anticipation surrounding its release.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bobby was asked whether he had stayed in touch with Vijay during the film's long wait for release.

The actor said he had not, explaining that Vijay prefers to keep away from promotional activities.

According to Bobby, Vijay believes in letting his work speak for itself and does not enjoy taking part in extensive promotions. He said he respected that approach and was comfortable with it.

'Everyone becomes a minister'

Speaking about the coincidence, Bobby said he had worked with Nandamuri Balakrishna in ‘Daaku Maharaaj’ before joining Pawan Kalyan in ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’.

He then laughed about the fact that every major South actor he had worked with seemed to end up becoming a minister.

"The funniest thing is, every time I've worked with these actors, they've all become ministers. It's just something very funny. Then I worked with Pawan Kalyan in Hari Hara Veera Mallu. I'm just joking," he said.

His light-hearted remark has since caught the attention of fans online.

Bobby Deol's south film journey

In ‘Jana Nayagan’, Bobby Deol plays the film's main antagonist, Phoenix, opposite Vijay, who is now serving as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, Bobby appeared as the villain Balwant Singh Thakur in the Telugu action drama ‘Daaku Maharaaj’, starring Nandamuri Balakrishna. In the film, he portrayed a ruthless prince and warlord.

Outside cinema, Balakrishna has been elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 2014, 2019 and 2024.

Bobby also played Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’, sharing screen space with Pawan Kalyan. Pawan currently serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.