Abhay Deol says he can't define his sexuality in 'controversial' statement: 'I've embraced all...'

Written By Riya Sharma | Updated: Jul 25, 2024, 12:41 PM IST

Abhay Deol on his sexuality

Abhay Deol talks about his sexuality and shares his views on masculinity in a 'controversial' statement.

Abhay Deol is all set to make his comeback to the big screens after 2 years with Bun Tikki. The actor in a recent interview talked about how he perceives sexuality and said he does not conform to the Western way of identifying sexuality. 

In an interview with The Dirty Magazine, Abhay Deol said that he views sexuality ‘as a spectrum’. “I refuse the Western way of identifying sexuality because it's so black and white. The Eastern approach is so different, it recognises the whole of us. I don't define my sexuality, and this might sound controversial, but for me, it's not something that I think can be defined." 

He further added, “I think it's more for the other person's comfort so that they can put you in a box, neatly slot you. Why should I define myself in Western terms? I have embraced all experiences in my life and I continue to do so. I don't know how to label that, I don’t want to label that. All of us have a masculine and feminine within us, so, in my opinion, we are all they/them.”

He also shared his views about his idea of masculinity and said, “I think masculinity, for me, is the ability to make people feel safe and included. As a man, I do feel like a protector and provider, maybe that's individual or it’s a conditioning, but there is a sense of taking charge and leading. Having said that I would happily give it up to a woman too, if she wanted to take charge and lead, that's also part of my masculinity.”

Helmed by Faraz Arif Ansari and bankrolled by Jio Studios and celebrated fashion designer Manish Malhotra's banner Stage 5 Production, the film also stars Shabana Azmi and Zeenat Aman. It marks Zeenat Aman's comeback to films and is scheduled to release this year.

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