‘I have always dreamt to be on the big screen’
Post the success of Soorma, Angad Bedi tells us what inspired him to sign on for the role of Sandeep Singh’s brother in the Shaad Ali movie
After creating waves in the web series Inside Edge, actor Angad Bedi has been raking in critical acclaim for his role in Soorma, playing in UAE theatres now. The film tells the story of the international hockey player Sandeep Singh, played by Diljit Dosanjh, who was paralysed and used a wheelchair for two years after an accidental gunshot injured him in 2006. Angad plays the inspirational brother to the central character of Sandeep, who himself is an athlete, in the film. We had a quick chat with the actor about the movie and his character.
What inspired you to sign
It’s a biopic based on Sandeep Singh’s life. I have followed his graph when I used to live in Delhi where I used to play cricket. Especially under 16 and under 19 where we used to train in National Stadium, Sandeep used to train there in hockey because it was a hockey ground also. Its known as Dhyanchand stadium. So yes, one is that and second is when I heard about Bikramjeet’s story, how it runs between the two brothers...
Bikramjeet himself was a big athlete in the country. He couldn’t go ahead because of injuries. He was a very explosive player but how he built his brother, how he had faith in him, how he backed him when nobody else did, how he sacrificed his own family, time and sport just so that he could stand by Sandeep... I thought that it was a very beautiful arch in the whole storyline and I always wanted to be a part of something where somebody’s sacrifice becomes somebody else’s gain.
It’s a beautiful feeling to help somebody, to be in a position where you see somebody go up in front of you. Bikramjeet always treated Sandeep like his son, though the age difference between both the brothers is about a year but Bikramjeet put himself behind and put Sandeep ahead all the time. He loved him like his own being, like his own child.
What was your reference point to play this character?
When I met Bikramjeet, I realised what kind of a guy he is. He is this big massive, 6 foot 4 inch tall muscular built guy who has got a bounce in his personality. He is this one guy who is charged up, really excited and full of positivity. He believes that anything under the sun can be done. His biggest thing is, “Jab Aadmi apne aap se haarta hai na, tabhi haar sakta hai warna kabhi haar nai sakta” (A man cannot fail unless he fails himself).
His positivity just inspired me. I told him that the drag flick is the biggest challenge for me to learn but he said don’t worry… he actually took me through it and made me learn the drag flick. He made me learn his style, his dance. I had to emulate him.
Also when I realised what Bikramjeet means to Sandeep... the camaraderie and love both the brothers share. I was really charged when he used to tell me the stories that transpired, what he and his family went through when Sandeep got shot in the spine.
How much has life changed post the super success of your digital series
Inside Edge, yes, it’s been the biggest success story and I am really really glad that I was a part of it, we are actually going into season 2 now. The shoot has already begun, the first season was the downfall of our Vashishth, how we see a good man going down, and the second is actually the redemption of Vashishth, so you will see a different Arvind Vashishth, an outright positive guy but a more meaningful person who cannot get fooled anymore. So yeah, we are in the process of shooting that at present.
Is there any actor whose career you would like to emulate?
A lot of them actually! Like Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmaan Khurrana have actually formed their path in the film industry. It’s lovely the kind of work they have taken up. Whether Ayushman in Bareilly ki Barfi... that was a fine film for Rajkummar Rao as well. Ayushman has done films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Shubh Mangal Savdhan. And for Rajkummar, he has shot Mental Hai Kya, his is the sudden rise of the phoenix. I love the way he has portrayed different characters in different films. I loved his graph and hopefully can build a somewhat similar graph like him.
What’s more fun and appealing to you - working in television, films or web series?
Definitely the big screen, the 70 mm, because it has got a wider range of audience at the same time. I have always dreamt to be on the big screen, how would it be to see myself and now with Soorma, Shaad (the director) has put a lot of faith in me. I have seen the film and the way he has portrayed or extracted Bikramjeet’s character - the journey of the brothers, their love and bonding... it’s beautiful to see that on screen. He has kept the scenes, and the camera stays on me for a longer period of time till I finish my lines.
It’s a great thing, I am really glad and fortunate that I got an opportunity to work with Shaad and hopefully we can take this association forward and work on many more films.