Actor Angad Bedi is all set to star next in R Balki's 'Ghoomer', co-starring Saiyami Kher and Abhishek Bachchan. The film tells the tale of a specially-abled female cricketer and her courage in the face of all odds, with a determined coach and a supportive lover by her side. 'Ghoomer' premiered at the opening night of the 14th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
In a candid chat with The Free Press Journal, Angad opened up on his character in 'Ghoomer', his process of choosing scripts, the roles he wants to take up going ahead, and more.
Excerpts:
Tell us about your role in Ghoomer
My character Jeet is Anina's (Saiyami) partner. He is a very supportive man. He believes women are equal and has no qualms about standing beside or even behind Anina. It is not very easy to be in love with a specially-abled person. He goes through various emotions because he has been with her since before her accident and then he is a witness to her pain and journey after she loses her arm. It's a character which people might not associate me with because I am not at the forefront, but there's a reason why I fell in love with this role. Jeet does a lot of sacrifices for his love and stands by her through thick and thin. Here, the man is not in authority, but he is in support.
How was it working with Abhishek and Saiyami?
Saiyami has been my first friend in the industry when I came here. We even helped each other in getting ready for auditions. So we share a really good bond. With Abhishek, I've always found him to be a champion performer. I have literally watched all of his films since his debut until now. He performs so beautifully and he expresses so well in silence. I am sure it will be interesting for people to watch him and me in the same frame.
Do you relate with your character Jeet in real life?
I really do. There is a side of me which has come out in the open with this character, something which people do not know about me. Even in my own family, there are times when I am leading, and then there are times when I take the backseat and let Neha (Dhupia) lead. The audience won't know this because they see me as just an actor, but with this role, they will get a glimpse of the real Angad.
Ghoomer is your first film to be screened at a film festival. How do you feel?
I've never been to any film festival till date. This is my first film which has been chosen for a film festival and it is a great opportunity to interact with the people over there. I would love to see the reaction of the audience in Australia for Ghoomer, and I can't wait to experience the whole event.
After embracing parenthood, a lot of actors become picky with the kind of roles they take up as their kids might watch those films someday. Are you following a similar approach?
Not really. I believe an actor's job is to perform in front of the camera. Even if you play a negative or flawed character, it is up to you how you justify it to yourself. For me, doing or not doing a role is secondary. The very first thing that crosses my mind is if the role laid out in front of me is getting me excited. So I always get involved in a story only if it excites me and is impactful. Then I don't think what my wife or kids would feel about it. If my personal instinct is to say yes, then I do say yes.
What kind of roles do you want to take up going ahead?
I am very hungry as an actor and there is so much more I can deliver. I want to work with people like Anees Bazmee and do comedy. I want to work with Karan Johar and do a full-fledged romance and drama film. Filmmakers like Shakun Batra, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Shashank Khaitan and Ayan Mukerji understand human emotions very well and these are the people I have not worked with yet. So I still have a long way to go.
