Angad Bedi, who plays Saiyami Kher’s boyfriend in Ghoomer, talks to HT about working with R Balki, why his character is being loved in the film and more.
After a simple love story in Lust Stories, Angad Bedi is back with Ghoomer as the dedicated boyfriend Jeet which every girl wants. The actor says it’s a selfless place to be in a position where one lets his partner shine and also be there to hold her when she falls. He stars opposite Saiyami Kher in R Balki’s Ghoomer which has Abhishek Bachchan in the role of her coach. The film has been appreciated by the critics for the performances as well as for the inspiring story of a paraplegic athlete. Also read: Saiyami Kher says shooting for Ghoomer everyday with 1 hand tied for 10 hours was ‘excruciatingly painful’
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Angad opens up about the working style of R Balki and why his character of Jeet is receiving a lot of love. He also talked about his wife Neha Dhupia, his next with Mrunal Thakur and more.
Tell us about your role in Ghoomer.
Cinema is there for eternity and actors will only prosper if they are seen in different kinds of roles, in different kind of energy. It’s a challenge for every actor to be showcased in a very different way. No single role of mine from the time I started with Pink and Ghoomer has been the same. They have been different in their ways, in their emotion, in their graph, and I’m very proud of the film, the filmmaker R Balki, all the actors Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Saiyami Kher or myself, I just feel that we all have put our best foot forward in making a beautiful film and it is being loved by the audience.
When a strong personality like myself comes on screen and puts the woman in front, it just showcases the vulnerability of me as an actor.
I’m a genuine believer in romance and I’ve got an opportunity to project that. It’s a very beautiful emotion. When a strong personality like myself comes on screen and puts the woman in front, it just showcases the vulnerability of me as an actor. And I just feel that it’s a very selfless place to be in. And if the audience is identifying, liking and loving Jeet and everybody is saying that we want a boyfriend like Jeet, then it’s a very big moral victory for me as an actor.
What is the best compliment you have received for Ghoomer?
Well, that everybody wants a Jeet in their lives who can support and believe in the woman’s talent and be there regardless. He doesn’t come from a place where his love is there out of pity. Because whether she is in full glory or even with one arm, for Jeet, Anina is the most beautiful, most hard working, most talented and the most special girl in the world. And that is what the graph of this character is.
Share your experience of working with R Balki.
When you work with an R Balki, you expect something very different every time. In our film there’s humor, emotion and love. You will feel 3-4 different kinds of emotions in every scene. There is a scene where Anina is saying I want to die and there is a Paddy Sir who says okay fine, take the chunni if the rope is short. You have to understand the humor behind it.
R Balki gives you longevity in your career.
It’s not a film that dwells into self pity at all. It dwells into celebration and romance. It beautifully shows a relationship between Jeet and Anina, or whether it is dadi and Anina or whether it is Paddy sir and Anina. I just feel all these relationships in the film are really raw, real and new. This is what happens when you do work with a stalwart like R Balki. He just gives you longevity in your career. People used to call me a Pink actor. Now they are saying he’s the star of Ghoomer. I just feel that this is the beautiful change that I can see and talk about. I have a heart which is full of gratitude because I’ve got a wonderful opportunity to be in such a beautiful film.
Ivanka Das (who plays Rasika in Ghoomer) said R Balki is an old school filmmaker.
I don’t know what an old school filmmaker is. I feel that he’s a very new age thinker and extremely understanding of human emotion. At some level, his way of handling actors is beautiful. He lets them be. He lets them understand the scene, have their own interpretation and lets them perform that scene. If he feels that the rhythm is working, he lets the scene be the way. And if he feels that the rhythm requires a little bit of tweaking, he does that. Or if he feels that you’re not hitting rhythm, then he will find a way for you to make sure that you hit rhythm. He is the captain of the ship who has handled each part in a very beautiful manner. And that’s why you see that every role in the film is not just layered but it’s also progressive in their own way and having a very beautiful impact without trying to have an impact.
Would you like to share about a remarkable scene in Ghoomer?
There is a beautiful scene, high on emotion where Anina is sitting in a dark room and Jeet comes and apologizes to her and expresses his love. She is in such a vulnerable state that she yells at him and asks him to leave. I spoke with Balki sir and asked him how to approach the scene. He said the only way to approach it is to stay in the moment and not think about anything. So he didn’t let me see her without an arm for the longest time. He said that’s a very important scene where I want your inner turmoil to come out once you see her for the first time without an arm. I don’t have much dialogue in that scene. For me to emote, I had to be very present; that was my only brief. It’s a very tricky scene because it determines how you move forward in the film.
Your father and legendary cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi also has a cameo in Ghoomer. Did you give him a tip or two for his acting debut?
When you work with R Balki, you don’t need to. The magician does everything on his own. You just need to be a good student and listen to him. All you need to do is submit. He does the rest.
Would you reprise your character in Tiger 3?
My character doesn’t continue in Tiger 3, hopefully in the next one.
You are also working on a film with Mrunal Thakur after Lust Stories?
Yes, we got one day of shooting left. It is called Hi Nanna. Mrunal and I come together for the second time after Made For Each Other (part of Lust Stories), which was again directed by R Balki.
You and Neha Dhupia are one of the most active couples in the film industry with two young kids. Being full time actors, how difficult is it to manage work and kids?
Due credit to her. She handles her time very well and is very meticulous as a mother. She makes the schedules of the children accordingly. And then there’s always somebody filling in. The children are never left alone at any given point of time.