Hyderabad: Bollywood actor Abhay Deol shed light on his thoughts regarding sexuality and masculinity. The actor expresses his rejection of the Western approach to defining sexuality. He prefers to see sexuality as a spectrum rather than being constrained by rigid labels.
Deol's statement was both open and reflective. In an interview with a magazine, he said, "I refuse the Western way of identifying sexuality because it's so black and white. The Eastern approach is so different, it recognizes 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. I think it's more for the other person's comfort so that they can put you in a box, and neatly slot you."
Continuing his viewpoint, Deol provided a layered understanding of gender roles and identities, which signifies a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse human experience. He said, "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."