I think I am getting lucky, that’s all! Angad Bedi was his usual cool self when t2 dialled him for a chat on the year that’s been. The Amazon Prime Series Inside Edge, in which the actor had a central role, has already become popular enough to fastrack a second season, and former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi’s son is also part of Salman Khan’s Tiger Zinda Hai that roars in on December 22. Angad, who shot into the spotlight as the antagonist Rajveer Singh in 2016’s Pink, also has a promising 2018, starting with Soorma, co-starring Diljit Dosanjh and his Pink co-star Taapsee Pannu.
Tiger Zinda Hai is a big, big film. Was it simply the sheer scale of the film that made you sign it?
I think I must have done some good karma to do a film first with Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan (Pink) and now with Salman Khan. Ali (Abbas Zafar, the director of Tiger Zinda Hai) has been a friend for a long time now and he came and saw Pink. He said, ‘I’ve something for you’. I liked him (his character Namit Khanna)… it’s a positive role and the guy has great attitude. So, Ali spoke to Salman bhai who said, ‘Ya, get Angad on’ and Mr Adi Chopra (producer) also agreed and before we knew it, we were in Abu Dhabi shooting.
What was it like on set with Salman and Katrina Kaif?
We spent 70 days shooting overseas. We not only bonded over cinema but also played a lot of cricket, volleyball and tennis… we hung out and watched a lot of films together. Usually, there’s so much stardom around Salman bhai and Katrina, but to just bond with them on a one-on-one basis was eye-opening. They are so down-to-earth and I got to see a completely different side to them.
What can you tell us about your character Namit Khanna, who seems to be in total contrast to the negative role in Pink?
Namit is a RAW agent who goes on a mission with Tiger (Salman). He’s well trained in combat and handling explosives and gun handling. He’s a man of action and of fewer words. He’s a fast thinker who always has Tiger’s back. In any situation, Tiger’s always looking at him to be the second in command.
After Pink, the good thing is that I have only been approached for positive roles… no one’s offered me a negative part! (Smiles) Inside Edge gave me a positive part and in my guest appearance in Dear Zindagi, I play a guy who gets dumped by Alia… you can’t be more positive than that! (Laughs) Now, I am doing this film, Soorma, with Shaad Ali and that is a very emotional role. Going forward, I am very clear about the parts I want to play: realistic roles with a slight edge on performance. Ali’s given me some good heroic moments in Tiger Zinda Hai.
How has Pink changed things for you?
Pink had me playing someone who was totally not me in real life… well, I hope not! (Laughs) So when you end up playing a part which is so different from who you are, then not only the audience but also the industry starts putting more faith in you. Now, more people want to take a chance on me. Pink was refused by many A-listers… but it came to me and it’s now become my film for posterity.
It’s the best time to be in the business. Everybody is now watching films in the theatre, which is a great sign. Small films like Tumhari Sulu are doing well. Vidya Balan is a superhero… she’s shattered the stereotype that you have to look a certain way to fit a part. The women in our films are shining through and are forcing writers to write films for them. Look at Deepika Padukone… she’s doing films that are character-driven and have her name as the lead.
The audience is evolving. Now no one thinks, arre if there’s no hero in the film then I am not going to watch it. Today, the heroine has become the hero. Even Pink was a story of three girls (Minal, Falak and Andrea)… it wasn’t Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan’s story.
Does the Pink gang keep in touch?
Taapsee and I have always had a warm equation and now I am doing a film with her. Taapsee, me, Ronnie (Lahiri, producer) and Shoojitda (Sircar, creative producer) are always in touch. We all went to Mr Bachchan’s house for Diwali. Pink released in September 2016, but the noise created by it still lingers. We had a one-year anniversary to celebrate it and now we have a book on it called Pink. We have a common WhatsApp group and we chat all the time. Pink has given us careers and we will never forget that.
Priyanka Roy
Watch Tiger roar... Hichki!
The last time we saw Rani Mukerji on screen three years ago, she was a woman on fire in the Pradeep Sarkar-directed Mardaani. Rani is all set to return on February 23 in Yash Raj Films’ Hichki, which “celebrates the spirit of endurance and self-belief to rise against all odds”. To get a glimpse, catch the trailer which unspools with one of 2017’s much-awaited release, Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif’s Tiger Zinda Hai on December 22.
Directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra and produced by Maneesh Sharma, Hichki is a “happy, uplifting story” that is meant for all age groups.
And we can’t wait for another power performance from Rani!
