Hindustan Times (Gurugram) - Hindustan Times (Gurugram) - City
‘He is a big name, and a controversial one’
For a possible biopic on his father, former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, actor Angad Bedi is looking for names who can do justice to his career and life
It’s raining biopics in Bollywood. After the success of Sanju, which shattered records, more biopics are in the pipeline, including projects based on the lives of mathematician Anand Kumar, Olympic Gold-winning shooter Abhinav Bindra, badminton player Saina Nehwal, filmmakers are keen on a film on former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi.
“A few people have shown a lot of interest, so it looks pretty promising. Also, my father has a big call in this, and once we internally decide how we want to go about it, we can then work towards the screenplay,” confirms actor Angad Bedi, when asked if a biopic on his father is on the cards.
“Bishan Singh Bedi is a big name, and has been a controversial one, too. He has also been a very honest man, and has spoken his mind. So, [with the kind of] personal and professional life [he has], and also the fact that he’s still relevant in the cricket world and media — if someone can crack the crux of what the one- liner will be, we can move forward,” explains the actor.
He adds that only a filmmaker, who understands that era and that of today, when it comes to cricket, can be roped in to helm the project. “It has to be someone who has followed my father when he was playing, and who also understands today’s time… the T20 craze and at the same time, how relevant my father is in the modern context of the game. So, it’s a lot of things — my father has been a player, a coach, an administrator, an expert — he has come full circle… So, we really need to be on point as far as the script is concerned,” Angad says.
Would the Pink (2016) actor want to play the role of his father? Angad says, “I don’t know yet. For me to play that part, I have to, at some level, keep proving myself time and again. It’s great to be known as Bishan Singh Bedi’s son, but that name comes with a lot of responsibility. So, to play such a character in a biopic, I first have to build my base as an actor [About the] rest, let’s see”.