Angad Bedi played age-group cricket before he made acting his profession. The son of Indian spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi, Angad has a pivotal role in R. Balki’s Ghoomer which also stars Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher. In a free-wheeling chat, Angad shares his experience of being directed by Balki, trying out romance and his upcoming debut in Telugu films.

What was R. Balki’s brief when he offered you the role of Jeet in Ghoomer?

Angad Bedi: He said, ‘It’s a very special role and I feel that you should do it.’ Then he explained why. I told him that I had never done romance. He said, ‘But you’re made for romance. It’s in your eyes and body language.’ Nobody had ever cast me in a romance.

I asked him whether he wanted to test me. He said he had seen my guest appearance in Dear Zindagi (2016) with Alia Bhatt and thought it was a wonderful scene. ‘Dear Zindagi was your audition and that scene stayed with me. And when I thought of Jeet, I could think of you.’

The requirement of the character was to put the girl in front of him and he’s only going to shine in the film if he makes the girl the hero. That was the simple brief given to me. He said you can’t act this part if you don’t believe in it. You’ll have to live this through.

In fact, I had bumped into Saiyami Kher when she was sitting with Murali Kartik (cricketer who coached her for Ghoomer) at The Taj Lands End. I didn’t know back then that this would be the same film that I’d be a part of.

It’s destiny. I put my heart and soul into it. I genuinely believed that I could make the part something special. When you see a strong personality becoming vulnerable, it looks beautiful on screen. I think that has happened in Ghoomer.

Jeet set aside his pride and ego, you just see his love for this girl. It’s not even his love for cricket. He’s associated with cricket through Anina (Saiyami Kher). Jeet’s moral victory is in the fact that Anina got back to the cricket ground wearing the Indian jersey.

The scene with Saiyami where you come to see her at her home but she doesn’t want your sympathy is quite dramatic. What went into the filming of that scene?

Angad Bedi: That is one of Abhishek Bachchan’s favourite scenes and he keeps on talking about it. All the dialogues in this scene are said by Saiyami but the performance is cut on me. Balki sir has made the scene about Jeet despite Jeet not having any lines. That is the beauty of this film.

It was also a tricky scene to do. There are no lines, so you couldn’t prepare for it really. I asked Balki sir how he wanted to go about it. He said, ‘Don’t see her without the arm until you get into the scene; everything will be truthful then. Just go with the emotion that you feel.’

Sometimes it's just the process of performance. A maker like Balki simplifies it for you. That guidance is very important. Sometimes doing something simple is the toughest thing to do.

Ghoomer is quite an emotionally demanding film. How was the energy on the sets during the shoot?

Angad Bedi: Though Ghoomer has a strong emotional graph, it’s not a heavy film. We did not dwell in misery or pity at all. We quickly moved away from despair at the hospital and home. Then comes Paddy (Abhishek Bachchan) and we move into sarcastic humour. That’s wonderful writing and a great way to keep the audience engaged. Because beyond a point if you leave an emotion which weighs too heavy in the room, it becomes difficult to come back to the film. Ghoomer has done that balancing act very well.

Who convinced your father Bishan Singh Bedi to do a cameo in the film?

Angad Bedi: The film required him. I think the film would have fallen flat if he was not there. If you want to get your bowling action approved, who do you get it approved by? There’s only one name that comes to mind and he was gracious enough to do the cameo. We just made it all come together.

You have played age-group cricket and you have played the role of a cricketer in Inside Edge and The Zoya Factor. Is your interest in cricket still the same as before?

Angad Bedi: Honestly, I’m not much of a follower of Indian cricket as such. I used to follow it till the time Yuvraj Singh was playing. He was my hero. You know, that era of Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan – Sourav Ganguly’s team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina – these are the boys I really enjoyed watching. After that, Virat Kohli is the only reason I watch Indian cricket.

I love watching test matches. I love India versus England, I love England versus Australia. I love any overseas test match played in Australia, England, New Zealand, or South Africa if India is touring. I like to watch an equal battle between ball and bat. When the games are played in India, I lose interest because either it’s a dead rubber or it’s a turning track, so the test match gets over in two days. I am a big test match watcher but it should go on for at least four-and-a-half days. That’s why The Ashes which happened this year was the best series.

Ghoomer is your second outing with R. Balki. Who are the other filmmakers at the top of your wish list?

Angad Bedi: There’s Shakun Batra, Ayan Mukerji, Anurag Kashyap. I would love to work with Karan Johar, Ali Abbas Zafar — with whom I did Tiger Zinda Hai — and Shoojit Sircar who make magnum opuses. I would love to do a comedy like Hera Pheri or Andaz Apna Apna. I enjoy comedy a lot.

You’re making your debut in Telugu with Hi Nanna starring Mrunal Thakur and Nani. What can you tell about this new chapter in your career?

Angad Bedi: It feels wonderful. It’s another territory that I will enter and I’ll have another audience that will see my work. That’s how you technically become a pan-India actor. Telugu is a beautiful language and the films made in the South bring a huge audience. There's a very loyal fan base which also I’d like to be associated with. They love their actors and they really look out for their actors’ work. There’s a very close bond between the audience and the actor, which I really like. I would love to engage in that fandom and love.

What are your upcoming projects? Are you in Tiger 3 since you were there in Tiger Zinda Hai?

Angad Bedi: There’s a lovely concept based on romance and murder which I have just finished. It is called A Legal Affair. It is directed by Karan Dar and it should be out by October or November. Then there’s Hi Nanna, which is romance and drama. I enjoy both genres. You’ll see me in two more projects.

As far as Tiger 3 is concerned, my character didn’t move into the third installment but hopefully, my character Namit Khanna, shall find his place in the YRF Spyverse.

You are acting across formats – films and series — but what kind of content do you watch?

Angad Bedi: I watch everything. Right now, I’m watching Peaky Blinders. I’m oscillating between Depp vs Heard and Made In Heaven Season 2. I also watch documentaries. I loved The Last Dance. On OTT, you’re spoilt for choices.

How do you work on yourself as an actor when you’re not filming?

Angad Bedi: As far as honing your skills is concerned, an actor is only as good as his/her last experience. And I just feel that the more you live your life and the more you understand certain relationships, the better you can grow as an actor. It’s very important to live your life. And it is very important to keep working. Sometimes, actors become choosy. When you rest you rust. Acting is a form of expression. The more you do it, the better you get at it. I don’t say no to work. I keep on working.