'We Actors Are Like Hustlers'

'Hum kissi ke bhi nahi ho sakte aur hum sabka hona chahte hain.'

Some actors become an overnight sensation. And there are others who pave their road to success through a gradual process.

Angad Bedi has been active in the industry for quite some time now and has established himself as a dependable actor.

"My father (cricket legend Bishan Singh Bedi) had a heart bypass two years ago with 90 per cent blockage, and then he had a stroke in the brain. It was painful to see him like that because he is my most prized possession," Angad tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com in a candid conversation.

How was your experience of taking Ghoomer to the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne?

Exciting! I've never been to a film festival before. It's a great space to be in.

I have seen people going to the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.

It is such a beautiful, intimate affair, where you go with a film, meet people, they look at your work and talk about your work, and they mingle with you.

It is so wonderful to see all the makers, producers, and actors, coming under one big umbrella and connecting with each other.

This is your second consecutive outing with R Balki after Lust Stories 2. What makes this collaboration special?

I'm very honoured.

The reason I got repeated is probably because I share the same initials with Abhishek and Amitabh sir, who both have previously worked with Balki sir (Chuckles).

Maybe I'm lucky.

I am just very happy that I am working with him once again.

Arjun from Lust Stories and Jeet in Ghoomer are very different from each other.

I play Jeet who is very supportive of Anina (played by Saiyami Kher), who is a specially-abled cricketer. He believes in her success and her abilities.

This is the kind of character that Sanjeev Kumarsaab and Amol Palekarsaab used to play back then.

You have been a part of some good films, but you had relatively smaller parts.

It's not about the length but the impact that counts.

For actors, it can be just one scene, one action, one look, one moment to hit home with the character they play.

I am lucky to be a part of films like PINK, Gunjan Saxena, Lust Stories, Soorma and Tiger Zinda Hai and shows like Inside Edge. Most of my work has been appreciated.

I feel like your job is to get on the field and perform to the best of your ability.

You will keep on moving to other producers and other film-makers and keep on doing bigger things.

I firmly believe in a good story and a good film-maker. If the story hits home, my role hits home.

I don't think too much, I am just instinctive with my work.

Which film, do you think, has brought out the best in you?

Soorma is very close to my heart.

That sacrifice, that emotional bond with Diljit's (Dosanjh) character was shown nicely.

Shaad Ali made a good film.

The music was lovely, and I got an opportunity to dance. I enjoyed all these things about that film.

Inside Edge is something that hit home really well. People still talk about that show.

I've just finished a show which is based on romance, and it is directed by a new film-maker called Karan Darra. That is going to be special.

Ghoomer is about will power and courage in the midst of difficult circumstances. What's been that moment in your life where you had to be really strong?

My father (cricket legend Bishan Singh Bedi) had a heart bypass two years ago with 90 per cent blockage, and then he had a stroke in the brain.

It was painful to see him like that because he is my most prized possession.

But I had to muster up the courage and be a really strong emotional support to my mother, sister and everybody else around me.

Touch wood, he's back on his feet now.

What's something that you learned about your profession recently?

I always believe that your work speaks for itself.

But I have realised that it is important to boast about your work and be constantly visible on social media.

I personally find this process very exhausting, but public memory has become short.

Everything has become like a 20-second reel now.

You have to keep on hitting it into people's memory.

Does having a partner in the same profession help you manage things better?

Yes, definitely. It's a boon. She (Neha Dhupia) understands the insecurities, the highs and the lows.

In our industry, we actors are like hustlers.

Hum kissi ke bhi nahi ho sakte aur hum sabka hona chahte hain (We can't belong to anyone and we want to belong to everyone).

There are a lot of challenges in this profession, so you need strong emotional support and a good environment at home.

You engage with your cast and crew and they become your family, but it's all very momentarily.

Once you move on to other projects, you engage with a new set of people and they become your family.

It's the environment at home that makes you feel balanced and makes you do your best on the professional front.