Seated at the lounge of a suburban hotel, he’s in his Dev.D avata—distressed denims paired with a green tee and a black jacket and a sling bag. His overgrown stubble is in place but the bloodshot eyes are replaced by a naughty twinkle one can recall from his act in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!.

His trip to the Big Apple became quite a topic of discussion in Bollywood, especially since the 33-year-old escaped the post-hit hype of two of the best films we’ve seen last year. Instead if reveling and networking, the reclusive actor upped and left for a “normal and anonymous” life. “The welding course was peripheral, something to keep the mind occupied and to experiment. In fact, I attended school only till February because I’d had my fill by then,” he says.

The music and live concerts that NYC offers were, in fact, what drew him there. “India’s stuck in time warp where music is concerned,” he says as he puts his legs up against the edge of the table. “In NY, I got to watch my favourite band Muse play live though I missed the opportunity to watch Coldplay and Doves.”

Having been labeled as the poster boy of meaningful cinema, after grueling six years of being overlooked, is not something he has digested yet. He instead enquires innocently: “What are people saying about me? My work has been appreciated by the masses but then why am I told that I cater to the niche audience? And if I have become a star then why are producers still haggling with me over my price—they should pay me more, no?” he laughs. “This is the reason I’m starting my own production company. I’ll save on my own cost and do movies I like.”

Besides focusing on his production house, Deol has Dibakar Banerjee’s next, a political thriller, to look forward to this year-end. Meanwhile, extending his role as a producer and actor, he has penned a treatment that is set to be his most ambitious project to date. “I don’t have the confidence to write an entire script but I write treatments. It’s a story that’s been on my mind for a while; I just didn’t know how to end it. But in NY, it suddenly came to me. I hope I can get financiers on board.”

Since women form a huge chunk of his fan base, it’s surprising that the dishy actor hasn’t taken up product endorsements. “Overexposure on television can make you a star. When that happens, people start watching the personality do the role and overlook the character. But that’s not to say I won’t do endorsements at all,” he explains. “I’d like to choose my products well and, of course, I have to be paid really well.”