‘I Was In Urgent Need’: Rakesh Bedi Recalls Being Denied Money On Film Set As It Was Reserved For Lead

Bollywood actor Rakesh Bedi is currently making all the headlines for his role in Aditya Dhar’s magnum opus spy thriller Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge. While Bedi is currently one of the most loved actors, the journey to this fame wasn’t that easy. In a recent chat, the actor shared how, once in dire need of money, he asked the producer of the film he was shooting for, but was denied because he wasn’t the lead.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Rakesh Bedi shared, “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’).”

“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 kam samjhun ya neecha samjhun ya inhuman treat karoon. Main kisi bhi dressman se apne joote nahi pehanwata; most actors pehanwate hain. Mujhe lagta hai woh 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 further added while sharing how he has accepted the hierarchy but won’t treat anyone below him differently.

Dhurandhar 2 plot

The story of Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge follows Jaskirat Singh Rangi, played by Ranveer Singh, as he evolves into the fearsome Hamza Ali Mazari. After defeating mobster Rehman Dakait in the first film, Jaskirat has become firmly embedded in Karachi’s underworld, earning the nickname “Sher-e-Baloch.” Sara Arjun portrays Yalina, Hamza’s wife. The sequel goes deeper into his past, telling how Ajay Sanyal, played by R. Madhavan, recruited him for the risky assignment. The plot focuses on his attempt to dismantle criminal networks and the financial backbone of terrorist operations, resulting in a psychological war with the mastermind.