Rakesh Bedi, riding high on the appreciation for his performance as Jameel Jamali in Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’, has spoken about how social media amplified the film’s success. The veteran actor also shared how comedy became his unlikely but beloved entry point into Bollywood.
Rakesh Bedi talks about the new wave of love in the second innings
Speaking at the News18 India event, Rakesh Bedi reflected on the overwhelming reception his role in ‘Dhurandhar’ has received, comparing it to the appreciation he earned during his films like ‘Chashme Buddoor’ and ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’.The actor said, “Pyaar sarahana sab pehle bhi milti thi, lekin kya hai ki abhi jab pehle filmein lagti thi to ek poster lagta tha deewaron par. Deewar pe, road pe ek poster lagta tha to logon ko maloom padta tha ki yeh film aa rahi hai (I used to receive love and appreciation even before, but the difference is that back then, when a film was about to release, there would just be a poster put up on a wall. A poster on a wall or by the roadside was how people came to know that a film was coming out).“Sharing how times have changed, he added, “Ab aisa thodi hai, ab to ek button dabata hai aur karodon logon ko ek second mein maloom pad jata hai ki yeh film aa rahi hai. To yeh jo film jis zamaane mein aayi hai, ‘Dhurandhar’, abhi ka hai. Ab magnitude kitna badh gaya hai Instagram par aur social media par. Yaani ki poori duniya ka reaction kai guna multiply ho gaya hai (“It’s not like that anymore. Now, with the press of a button, millions of people can find out within a second that a film is coming. So, Dhurandhar has arrived in today’s era. The scale of things has grown tremendously because of Instagram and social media. In other words, the reaction from audiences across the world has multiplied many times over).”He went on to say, “Halaanki yeh success mujhe ‘Chashme Buddoor’ ke time bhi mili thi, aur ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’ ke dauran bhi mili thi. Lekin iska magnitude millions of times badh gaya hai (I did experience this kind of success during Chashme Buddoor and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi as well. However, the scale and magnitude of it have grown millions of times over now).”
Rakesh Bedi talks about how comedy opened the door for him
The FTII graduate also recalled how rigid casting norms in early Bollywood left little room for someone like him. With heroes expected to be tall and conventionally good-looking and villains cast by a defined physical type, Rakesh Bedi found that comedy was the only door open to him, and he walked right through it.He said, “Jab main industry mein gaya tha, mere jaise aadmi ke liye koi jagah nahi thi. Tab hero jo tha woh chhe foot do inch ka hona chahiye, villain thoda khunkhaar dikhna chahiye, villain ka chamcha alag dikhna chahiye. Casting mein sab stencil-cut hua karte the. To mere paas ek hi raasta tha ki main comedy karoon (When I entered the industry, there was no place for someone like me. Back then, a hero was expected to be six-foot-two, the villain had to look menacing, and the villain’s sidekick had a distinct look. Casting was very rigid and stereotyped. So, the only path available to me was comedy).”He elaborated, “Comedy ke chakkar mein I put my foot into the door, taaki mujhe entry mile. Main wahan se karta raha. Aisa nahi ki main comedy zabardasti karta tha, mujhe humour bahut pasand hai (Through comedy, I managed to get my foot in the door and gain entry into the industry. That’s where I started and continued working from. It’s not that I was forcing myself to do comedy—I genuinely love humour).”
More about Rakesh Bedi
After the massive success of the’Dhurandhar’ franchise, Rakesh Bedi recently featured in David Dhawan‘s film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, starring Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur. The film was released in theatres on June 5, 2026.
