All set to mark a strong presence in Main Vaapas Aaunga is birthday boy Vedang Raina. The actor plays the central character of Keenu — a young boy torn away from his love (Jiya, played by Sharvari) by Partition — in the Imtiaz Ali romance drama that releases in theatres on June 12, and also stars Diljit Dosanjh and Naseeruddin Shah. t2 chatted with Vedang, who turns 26 today, and has breakout acts in The Archies and Jigra to his credit, about his latest film and more.
You are barely recognisable in Main Vaapas Aaunga. Is that something that a lot of people are telling you?
Definitely. It is an avatar that people have not seen me in before, I don’t think they even expected to see me in this kind of a getup. That is a great compliment for me, to be honest.
We tried a lot of things to crack this look, especially when it came to the beard and the turban. I lost a bit of weight, though Imtiaz sir (Imtiaz Ali, director) never asked me to. At some point, he had just flippantly remarked that I was perhaps looking slightly broad for the college-going character I play in the film. So I tried to curb my diet a little. By the time we came back from the shoot in Punjab — which was for about two months — I realised I was 10kg down. The look suits the essence of my character, Keenu, and makes him feel very unique.
Losing weight while being in Punjab, and surrounded by all that food, is a feat in itself!
I will tell you how that happened! Before we started filming the movie, Sharvari and I went to Punjab for a recce. We had decided to tag along with Imtiaz sir, who had important things to do like figure out locations and stage scenes. After a point, Sharvari and I realised that we were of no use on this recce! So the two of us started looking out for places to eat. We ate everything from kulcha to Amritsar’s famous peda lassi. But the next time I was in Punjab to shoot the film, I decided not to touch anything which was calorie-rich. So the two trips were really two extremes.
What is it about Keenu that impacted you the most and enabled you to play him the way you have?
The time period that my character is set in is one of innocence, of a sense of purity that is very rare now. I saw that in the writing of this film as well as that of my character. He has this deep emotion that makes him say: “Main vaapas aaunga” — the feeling that he is going to come back to his land, to his people.... I found that so charming and heartfelt. The fact that one should never lose their inner child, their innocence....
Main Vaapas Aaunga touches upon the familiar Imtiaz Ali themes of love, loss and longing. What do you feel that he has done in this film that he hasn’t attempted before?
I don’t think this is like any other film that he has made before. I have heard comments that Main Vaapas Aaunga looks like this film of his or that film of his. Before being an actor in his film, I have been a fan and an audience of Imtiaz Ali’s cinema. I truly feel that Main Vaapas Aaunga comes from a deep and pure place in his heart. It is like nothing he has made before, though the period setting and the image of a boy wearing a turban may make people think of some of his earlier films.
As a love story, Main Vaapas Aaunga is beyond anything that is routine in the genre. Partition is a very important character in the film. It is exactly what its title says it is... the return to one’s roots... it is about that promise, of the want to come back and this strong feeling that everyone has inside them when they are away from home. The feeling of home is very strong in this film. I think that is very different from anything that Imtiaz sir has tackled before. I can promise you that it is not the kind of film you would have expected from him. It is one of those films that will truly and deeply make you feel something when you leave the theatre.
In the brief but impactful career that you have had so far, would it be fair to say that playing Keenu has been the most challenging as an actor? You had Jigra, which was also pretty challenging...
Yes, this has been the most challenging. This is a character who is very far away from who I am. To unlock certain aspects of Keenu’s character was very new to me. It is uncharted territory and I took a long time to get there personally, in terms of the body language, the way he speaks and how he is emotionally. I agree Jigra was very challenging and only my second film (after The Archies). It was also very heavy, but Main Vaapas Aaunga tops it.
Not to generalise, but for a generation that believes in moving on quickly in relationships and where we hear the word ‘situationship’ so frequently, what makes you think Gen-Z audiences, which you are a part of too, will connect with the old-world love story in your film?
Yes, it is a generation that thrives on WhatsApp and texting and Instagram, but somewhere deep down everyone is longing for what you will get to see in this film. At least I can speak for myself... that feeling of catching a glimpse of somebody you love, and not just on an Instagram story. This film encapsulates the emotion of sending love letters, feeling those butterflies in your stomach.... The language of love is very different now and I think, deep down, everyone is craving that feeling again. When I see Keenu and Jiya (Sharvari’s character) on screen, I get that feeling sometimes... that this is exactly what I am looking for.
Was singing in an Imtiaz Ali film for A.R. Rahman a pinch-me moment all the way?
Most definitely! The feeling is hard for me to put into words. It was my dream as a child to sing for a movie and to get this opportunity is huge. I have also sung for my first two films, but Main Vaapas Aaunga is special, simply also because this is for Rahman sir. It is probably one of the best things that has ever happened in my life. It is for an Imtiaz Ali movie and the lyrics have been written by Irshad bhai (Irshad Kamil).These things are the stuff of dreams.
Is a music career also as seriously on the cards as acting is?
Yes. I have a real passion for music and I enjoy singing, playing the guitar and performing as a whole. I have got the opportunity to do playback for my films, but I would also like to pursue music even otherwise. The dream is to release an album someday and perform in a stadium.
Growing up, which Imtiaz Ali film had the maximum impact on you?
That would be Rockstar. I always dreamt of being a musician and seeing Ranbir Kapoor on stage in that film, picking up a guitar, singing and the whole crowd going wild and singing along, was magical. That was the first thing that attracted me as a 12-13-year-old. When I rewatch that movie now, it, of course, means a whole lot more to me. My recent favourite film of his is (Amar Singh) Chamkila. It is his most brilliant piece of work.
As a teenager, did you identify with the angst that Ranbir’s Jordan in Rockstar has?
I think I was too young. I feel like one consumes a piece of art in different ways at different stages of your life. A lot of people say that about Tamasha as well. That it had a different impact on them when they watched it later in life, especially after they left a job or came out of a relationship. The aspects of Rockstar that hit me now are not what I resonated with as a teen or pre-teen. Now that I think of it, I was fascinated with the angst and the pain of the character, but I understand him better now.
Was there a particular moment in life that made you decide to be an actor?
Yes, it actually happened in a way that nothing else has in my life. I have been rather confused through most of my academic life.
I was good at studies, but I had no clue what I really wanted to do. I scored well in science, but then I suddenly found myself in business school, and I didn’t enjoy it. I joined an agency and started modelling and giving auditions. Those auditions were the first time I faced failure in the proper sense. I would do the rounds of Aram Nagar (in Mumbai) and come back home feeling quite shattered. But I knew I had to get better and keep at it.
One day I came home from an audition and told my mom that this is what I want to do. I remember her being shocked because before that, I hadn’t been so sure about anything in life. It was just a strong feeling I got and it remained with me. I was still pursuing my degree, I would have perhaps got an MBA and looked for a job if I didn’t land The Archies audition eventually.
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