Box office winners Pink and Tiger Zinda Hai were his breakthrough films and Angad Bedi now hopes to carry forward his acting career with powerful roles.

The 35-year-old actor, who started his journey in showbiz as a TV host, says he wants to try different genres and build his own fan base.

“I have been fortunate that Pink has been the film that gave my career a push. I owe a lot to Shoojit Sircar for having faith in me and my co-stars Taapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachchan sir... I am lucky nobody has been able to slot me in a particular role. I want to do films that will make an impact,” Angad told PTI.

The actor believes it is the right time for him to do a film as a leading man and reach out to a wider audience.

“A producer and a good maker has to back me, my last few films have been hits. I have delivered and it is about time that someone backs me as a lead. I am ready for it… Rajkummar Rao came from the same space. Today, films are all about characters. A good film works for everybody. I would like to reach a wider audience. With Tiger Zinda Hai, I reached out to Salman Khan’s market. Through Soorma, I can reach out to Diljit’s fans. As an actor, I want to have my own market too,” he says.

In Soorma, a biographical drama based on the life of hockey player Sandeep Singh, played by Diljit Dosanjh, Angad plays his elder brother Bikramjeet. Son of former spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, Angad says he had to work hard to learn hockey for the role.

“I had to unlearn cricket to learn hockey. It is easier for someone who is not a sportsperson to pick up hockey. They just have to learn it,” he says. Angad and Diljit learnt the game from real-life Sandeep and Bikramjeet.

“Both Diljit and I had to do a lot of core exercises — running, jogging, jog while dribbling etc. A lot of preparation was required for this film. Both Sandeep and Bikramjeet have different styles of playing. Bikramjeet is high on energy and I had to observe him to play his part right,” he says.

Soorma also marks Angad’s reunion with Pink co-star Taapsee, and he is happy to have shared the screen space with her again.

“People will see a totally different side of us here. It is a different role for both of us. Hopefully, we can do another film together,” he says.

The Shaad Ali-directed film is scheduled to release on July 13.