Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, who has entertained the audience for decades with his comic timing and powerful acting, recently spoke openly on the inner workings of Bollywood and the changing nature of stardom. Bedi, who won accolades for his role of Pakistani politician Jamil Jamali in the web series ‘Dhurandhar’, shared an incident from his early career which highlights the discrimination among actors in the industry. The actor spoke about an incident when he needed an immediate payment during the shooting of a film. Upon asking for her payment from the producer, Bedi was told that the money was reserved for the film’s hero. He said that this moment showed the hierarchical structure of the industry, where well-known stars often get special treatment.
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When the producer said- “There is money, but not for you”
During an interview, Rakesh Bedi recalled the period when he was struggling with financial crunch. He told that during the shooting of a film, he was in dire need of money to pay his installment. Bedi recalled: The producer came to the set and had a packet of money in his hand. When I asked him for my outstanding amount, he clearly said that he had no money. When I pointed towards the packet in his hand, his response was surprising. He said, ‘Man, this money is to be given to the hero.’ This incident made Bedi realize that there was a strict ‘hierarchy’ in the industry, where the comforts of big stars were placed above the needs of smaller or supporting actors.
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Stardom is like the stock market
While talking about ‘equity’ and respect in the industry, Bedi gave an interesting example. He said that the status of an artist is like the stock market; Just as the price of a share can go from ₹10 to ₹1000, similarly people’s perspective changes overnight when success is achieved.
However, he stressed that it is never right to misbehave or insult anyone, regardless of status. Sharing his personal philosophy, he said that even today he does not ask any dress-man for help in wearing his shoes, because he believes in the dignity of every human being.
The scale of fame has changed
Rakesh Bedi took the era of cult classics like ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’, ‘Shriman Shrimati’ and ‘Chashme Baddoor’ with today’s era. Earlier, artists used to be happy when their names appeared in a magazine. Today a small conversation or video reaches millions of people within minutes. He admits that the ‘quantum’ of stardom has become much bigger today, and he is trying to adapt himself to the instant fame of this digital age.