“There is a lot that goes into making a character real”- Angad Bedi

From television to digital platform, actor Angad Bedi has proven his talent. After gaining critical acclaim in the television series called ‘Kaya Taran’, Angad was seen in ‘Emotional Atyachar’ and ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi’. With ‘F.A.L.T.U’ he entered Bollywood and gained recognition with movies like ‘Ungli’ and more recently, ‘Pink’. Now, he is all set to play a raw agent in ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, which is a sequel to ‘Ek Tha Tiger’. Produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, this Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif film is one of the most anticipated movies of the year.

As the movie hits the theatre, we caught up with Angad Bedi, to get some insights on the movie and his character. The actor talked about his character in ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ along with the kind of preparation that went into building the character. He also spoke about his future projects and the second season of ‘Inside Edge’.

Actor Angad Bedi

You have been part of some great projects, how would you define your journey as an actor so far?

I have been in the film industry for six years and in that time, I’ve been part of 7 projects. It’s all been good, though at times it has been tough. There have been ups and downs and it has all been part of the journey. I am proud that I am here and it’s a good feeling to finally get recognized for my work.

Tiger Zinda Hai is a huge film, what was your thought process when you got the part?

I was very elated and excited. I got the part after Ali Abbas Zafar watched ‘Pink’. I guess working for Yash Raj Films and Ali Abbas is step-up from working with Shoojit Sircar. It is quite a big step and a great feeling for me. One of the reason is that the film is made on a very large scale. After working with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan I got the chance to work with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. It is a sequel to an established film, it is being made under the YRF banner, it is directed by Ali Abbas and produced by Aditya Chopra, you can’t ask for anything more.

That is the aim right now, to show the industry my body of work and then hopefully, once the industry accepts me then work towards building a fan base.

Let’s talk about your role, can you tell us something about your character?

I am playing the part of a raw agent, he is extremely swift and sharp. He is trained in gun-fight and body combat. He has a sense of calm and as a person, he is very centered. He is a quite guy, he let’s his action speak rather than his words. He has an attitude about himself, which at times can be mistaken for arrogance, but he is cool guy, who is focused on his work.

Angad Bedi in a still from Tiger Zinda Hai

This is a movie with heavy actions, how did you adapt to the physicality of a raw agent?  

It was very draining because I had to pick up muscles. Moreover, there are certain physical traits that are attributed to a raw agent. It is more than the physical aspects. They are constantly putting their life on line. Therefore, their thought process and the way they behave is quite different. They are very fearless, and it was important to get into that thought process. There was a lot of work that was put into creating this character. There were workshops and I had to train in various physical aspects like kick-boxing. I had to learn how to carry the gun, how to shoot and most importantly, how to be at ease with the gun. While playing a character like this handling the gun should be your second nature. There is a lot that goes into making a character real.

Besides working on the physicality of the character, were there any other aspects that were challenging, or could you relate to the character easily?

It is not relatable, firstly it is about a raw agent and that is difficult to relate to. The character that I am playing has a mind of his own. He does his job very diligently, but he treats the job like a job with a certain detachment. He has Tiger’s back throughout the film. He is someone who is great at his job because there are things he can do, which makes him one of the best agent in the country and that is why he is there. To get under the skin of such an intense character is a bit difficult. It is challenging, but that is the fun, it is exciting to portray a character like this.

Your character in this film is widely different from the ones you have played previously, so how difficult or easy is it to get into a character?

No character is easy to slip into or get out from. It takes time, for instances, getting out of this character to get into another film will take time. But that is the challenge for an actor and something that I enjoy. It is important to not be slotted in any space, I thrive on that as long I can continue that and keep on getting more work, I am going to explore all the mediums. That is the aim right now, to show the industry my body of work and then hopefully, once the industry accepts me then work towards building a fan base.

Actor Angad Bedi with Salman Khan

You’ve been part of television, films and even digital channels, how do these platforms effective your choices as an actor?

It is great, as long as there is great content, and you are part of that, it is great. Regardless of the medium which could be television, digital or films, it is all about making the audience believe that you can do a lot more. The challenge is to compete with yourself. There are times you rise above yourself and there are times you fail; the important thing is to try again and that is how it works.

You’ve been part of the web series ‘Inside Edge’, have you started working on the second season and are there any other projects that you are working on?

There is going to be a season two and it will be shot early next year. Arvind Vashisht, the character I play, has found a lot of love and acceptance among the audience. Hopefully, we will be able to deliver much more in the second season. As for future projects, I am doing a film called ‘Flicker Singh’ it is a biopic based on Sandeep Singh. I will play the role of his elder brother Bikramjeet, it is a great story and I am excited about it.

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