Bollywood actor Rakesh Bedi, who has gained widespread acclaim for his role in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, recently opened up about his experience in the industry and about the harsh realities of hierarchy in the film industry. He recalled an incident from a film set where he was denied his due payment, and a leading star was prioritised over him. The veteran actor shares how the experience left a lasting impression on him.

Rakesh Bedi on facing discrimination

During a recent interview with Zoom, Rakesh recalled, “Mujhe yaad hai ek baar main shooting kar raha tha aur mujhe paise ki bahut zarurat thi. Aur usmein hero tha ek bada, main naam nahi loonga. Producer set pe aaya to uske haath mein paison ka packet tha. I could see that there is money in it. To maine kaha, `Sir, meri instalment due hai, mujhe paise chahiye.` Usne kaha, `Yaar abhi to paise nahi hai.` To mere muh se nikal gaya, maine kaha paise to hai`. He said, `Yaar, hero ko dene hai yeh`… And I realised that this is how it works (I remember once I was shooting and I was in urgent need of money. There was a big star in the film, I won’t name him. The producer came to the set with a packet of cash in his hand. I could tell there was money in it. So I said, ‘Sir, my instalment is due, I need the payment.’ He replied, ‘I don’t have the money right now.’ It just slipped out of my mouth; I said, ‘But there is money.’ He said, ‘This is for the hero’).”

He further explained how everything has an equity and it keeps changing. “At that time, I convinced myself that this is the norm and you have to live with it. If I or any other actor is getting a hierarchy, it doesn`t mean main dusre waale ko kum samjhun yaa neecha samjhun yaa inhuman treat karoon. Main kisi bhi dressman se aapni joote nahi pehanwata, most actors pehanwate hain. Mujhe lagta hai voh demeaning hai (I shouldn’t consider others inferior or treat them as lesser or inhuman. I don’t make any dressman put my shoes on for me; most actors do. I feel that’s demeaning),” he shared.

Rakesh Bedi in Dhurandhar

Rakesh was most recently seen in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, where fans praised his performance as Pakistani politician Jameel Jamali. His character arc, in particular, was highly praised. The film, which also stars Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Sara Arjun, has emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever, collecting over Rs 1,750 crore worldwide at the box office.