What does it take to build a career that lasts for decades in an industry that never stops changing?
In this episode, veteran actor Rakesh Bedi reflects on his remarkable journey through theatre, television, and films. From his early days as an aspiring performer to becoming one of India's most loved character actors, he shares stories from the sets, lessons from working with some of the biggest names in the industry, and the experiences that shaped his career.
This conversation goes beyond cinema, touching on perseverance, reinvention, the evolution of storytelling, and the joy of doing meaningful work. Whether you're a film enthusiast, an aspiring actor, or simply love hearing untold stories from behind the scenes, this episode is packed with nostalgia, wisdom, and memorable moments.
[00:00:00] My personal favourite role is Tarak Mehta's Boss I have to ask why you don't give them a little Who watches TV? You say that, Trap, younger brother ignored of films I took one month to decide whether I should go on TV or not I haven't watched my work, people have watched it 4-4 times, I have watched it And I will watch it in the second If someone says this, You're my child
[00:00:30] If someone says this, You're my child He's my child What a joke Hello Rakesh sir Thank you so much for giving us your time Welcome to GoaCast Before we get into the actual podcast I have to ask you one thing
[00:00:58] My personal question is that you have done 150 plus films Theatre plays Everything But my personal favourite role is Tarak Mehta's Boss So, why don't you give them a little Why don't you give them a little If you give a little, how will the scene make it? Anjali, she is not so hard to fight her Because you don't give them a little Yes, absolutely It's a good thing that we have made
[00:01:29] It's been a good thing It's been a good game It's been a good game And it's been a good game But yeah, coming to GoaCast Sir, our team of GoaCast is reset for growth So, is there ever been a moment in your life that you had to reset, pivot, change directions or unlearn things to achieve something? Decay, aisa bohat bar hoota hai, aap ko, to start with
[00:01:55] Very beginning, you know, I go back around maybe more than four decades, four and a half decades when I joined FTII Yeah So, I was doing theatre over there before I joined FTII So, when I went over there, to jo hoamare sir the, Rashundhinejai, Jab umana tshikha na shuru kya, to mera panna reaction dhiya tha, ki I have to unlearn what I think I know What I've learned till now, because acting is not playing to the gallery
[00:02:26] Hmm Niaan actor kya kata hai, ki wo play into the gallery kata hai, usko ye lagta hai, mige laughter milga, mige reaction milga, I'm very happy But that is a wrong thing to go, wrong path to go, tread upon Thire dhere dhere dhere, that was the first thing, then it goes on and on till your life, you know, goes on Then, abhi dhekhye, jase ab, jab tv aya, to I took, I remember I took one month to decide whether I should do ye joe hendegi on tv or no
[00:02:55] Okay, because maybe your generation doesn't know, your parents will be no, he was a cult cult cult classic of next level To, who jab aya to, kyunke mige laga ka yaar yeh, tiv pe jau ga to filmen meri value kakam ho jae ga Hmm, that's a stereotype haa, tiv pe on dhekta hai, tiv is little, it's a little, it's a little, it's a step younger brother ignored of films
[00:03:24] You know, cinema ka younger brother hai, kusko koi pushta nahi hai, aisa aik feeling ti ki tv mata ho yaar So it, I took one month to decide whether I should go on tv or no, but that was a fantastic decision I had to reboot myself at that time, at that era, then it goes on and on and on, then this time came when
[00:03:47] I was not on social media at all, till around 7-8 years back, 6-7 years back and my two daughters who are young girls They kept on, you know, like pinching me, pushing me, you know, takka maarei di meri ko Dad go, please be on social media, do something, so muha samajh niya kaha se shudru kuro, muha to pata hi nahi hai Kya dalna cha cha, kya banau kaise usko ma dalu, kaise delete kuro, kya banau kaise usko ma dalu, kaise delete kuro, kya
[00:04:15] This was a lesson I had to learn, yeah Because then I realized, ke jab ba TV, ke jab me aya to main ek line padhi, that if you are not on television, you are nowhere So that made you decide, ke you want to do TV? TV and then I almost read this line in a way, that if you are not on social media, you are nowhere You have to be here, so one has to reboot Yes, constantly And be relevant
[00:04:45] Because today's generation will not be attached to me Boss, if I do not do this work, this is their condition So I have to honor them to honor them Time with the life I am a bad actor, I am not a bad actor I am a bad actor, I am not a bad actor I am not a bad actor So I am a bad actor So I will be flop Slowly people will forget me
[00:05:13] But if I need to, and Dhulandar has done something extraordinary And Dhulandar has also joined me with Jen Ji And I have also joined me with Jen Ji And I have been a little bit of a problem Because of my longevity in my career And I am quite senior for them as an actor But Dhulandar went straight into their hearts But now do you enjoy using social media? You think that this is a task, I am not doing it
[00:05:39] I am studying it Today we are doing this shooting This camera is going to be done Tomorrow we will go on the camera You will not have to come You can't be chipped with this I am saying that I need the camera The time has changed Evolved Sir, as you are the only way of Dhurandar And the long journey of Dhurandar
[00:06:09] Is there a long journey of your Is there a memorable moment that you have to share with the audience Or share with the audience Or is there a moment that you have to change your life trajectory? Is there a first thing that you have to do in your mind? There are many things What is that? I am an actor I work every day I work every day In the sense that I work every month
[00:06:38] I work every month And I work every month But I work every day And there is something new I have a new boss every day A new director every day A new producer every day I work every day I work every day So, I work every day So, I do not know that I do not know that Is there any fan of you What has you said to me That you have to be in your heart? Yes, yes Yes, it is There are many different moments Now, I am playing a play in Delhi One month before the time I was playing a play
[00:07:08] My love online I was doing that play And a lady She came to me To meet me On stage So, when she came She was trembling like this You know She was very anxious Very excited A little nervous A little A fan moment It was for her Anyway I am a fan of her I have to relate There were many people There were many people There were many people There were many people Played after the stage
[00:07:37] So, she was like And I saw her And her lips were quivering I am like, madam Please cool down Are you alright? Give me some water I will drink some water for you She said, no Rakeji I want to tell you something I said, what? Please let the crowd go Then I said So, all of them went And she came And she said Rakeji, my mother has gone through Four brain transplants Okay But whenever we put Shereman Sherevati She smiles
[00:08:07] So, I want to thank you for that What is the moment? This is the kind of a moment Which is so emotional For an actor It's like It's like That, yeah Let's go Our Our work Is coming to someone's work Makes everything feel Worth it Yeah That what we did We did not have worked It's not a good feeling It's a kind of feeling We are getting a smile on someone's face
[00:08:34] So, it's a great fulfillment It's a great fulfillment It's like It's a great It's a great Fan interactions It's a great That you remember I remember My play That didn't mean I was directed And I was directed And I was Anupam Khair, Nina Gupta And I was three actors It was a great When we were doing the US I remember That a lady came to Washington So, our play Was very popular In the US
[00:09:03] And showed many shows So, she came And She tapped me from the back So, her tap was very strong So, the reaction was Why am I beating So, I was I was I was I was blind Then I You know I gathered myself Are you alright? Okay So, she said She said Rakhir Ji I have heard your play That I have heard your play That I have heard your play Today
[00:09:33] So, she felt like That I have heard your play That I have heard your play That I have heard your play That I have heard your play Because, I think That I have heard your play That I have heard your play And I have heard your play So, I think There is so much to deal with
[00:10:03] You are going to go And everyone You know You want to take a photo Or talk No, no, no No, no No, no No, no No, no No Look Look You know This is why You are doing this That people They have seen me I have seen you I have seen you But, who did you do this You have done this That people You have done this Yes Sometimes When people forget the social etiquette
[00:10:32] Then, it feels bad You are doing this Or you are doing this You are doing this You are doing this You are doing this Privacy If you are doing this Decency Where you are living here Then You are happy But, Sir There is something When you are playing FTI's days When you are playing theatre Anything Something Something Something What has said What new actors Are trying to make it big In this industry That you want to pass on
[00:11:03] Which will be very helpful For them Because how many people Are here in Mumbai How many people Are there But, it's really difficult It's such a competitive industry People give up Many people consistent to be able to do that. So, there is something that you think that if you say that you will help them with their journey. I would like to give you a advice to newcomers
[00:11:31] that I can give you this. That today every actor or other person is an actor. I would like to make a director. That's right. And that's not the case. But if you are not a director, you are not a writer, you are not a camera, you are not a editing, you should learn. You don't think you are like acting. That's right.
[00:12:01] You should learn. You should learn editing, you should learn, you should learn, you should learn. How can you become an actor? How can you become an actor? That's why you can become an actor. No, no. How can you become an actor? I thought that I am an actor. It will be done. My career is going on. I am an actor. I am an actor. I am an actor. But the story is very good.
[00:12:31] But what is it? There is so much competition. If you are in a small town, you are standing there in a pond where there is no competition. When you are in a big town, you are standing there in a small town. You have to compete. You have to know your art. And acting is not just art.
[00:12:59] It becomes a craft later on. It's not only talent. But do you think it always comes from within? Or you can learn in the right way, it can be taught? Or it is gifted? No, it can be taught. You can show a path. You can show a path. If you are going on this path, you will become a good actor. Right. If I take a certificate in the last three months, I will give you a certificate. You are the best actor. It is not. It is possible. Yes. If someone wants to become a director,
[00:13:29] I suppose. So, he can learn the direction of the director. He can learn the camera here. He can hold the shoulder like this. He can close the money. He can do the camera left. He can do the camera right. These things you can learn. But the idea of a director, a story will be done. You can learn very basic things. Those who are in the new industry,
[00:13:59] they may underestimate the job of an actor. They are just a final product. They may not know the process of the back. That is the reason for the other. And the other thing, you said, why are you not become a director? Why are you not become a director? Why are you not become a director? Why are you not doing any roles? Why are you not doing any roles? If everyone needs recognition, everyone needs validation, then you feel that obviously actors' fame and recognition always get more than the director and editor. But the work is enough to make a film.
[00:14:30] So, there is a reason for that. Because of that, you said a lot about the work. I have a dream of a film. I have a dream of fame. And I have a dream of fame. I have always thought of this. My dream was this. My dream was this. This was this before, this was this. When I joined FTII to learn acting, this was my dream of fame and this. And today is this. I have a dream of fame. fame, name, money.
[00:15:00] They are byproducts of your hard work. It cannot, it can never be the other way around. when the result is your dream, Today you are a star, but your work will be tomorrow. You will want a good work, but you will be a star for a first time. No, you are not. Can you be a star for a first time? No. So, if not you work completely, you will know that you need to worry and become an actor's for yourself. You have considered that you may have been an actor, you may have considered that you may be actor, but my opinion is also that, you may have been able to work with these actors.
[00:15:30] Very wise, I will say you have thought for an actor, and I will give this time to think of it. I will attack you as an actor or not. So, I am saying that you are not in your own mind. Self-assessment is a very bad thing. If I play, I play a lot. I play a lot. I play a lot. I never leave the theater. I have three shows in Delhi. I have three shows in Delhi.
[00:15:59] So, I don't have a difference if people are doing my performance. They are doing a lot of things. Why do I not have a difference? Because I have self-assessed that I have done this. I have done this well. I have 100% but I could only give 80% today. But if I have a bad thing, I don't have a difference. I have done this well. I have done this well. But there are 10 people who are saying that okay.
[00:16:30] So, I don't understand that. Self-assessment is important. I have to say that I will depend on any other person. If I say or say, I will be happy. That's not the same. Your hard work and work is good. The whole thing will come. I have to say self-assessment. I have to say how good I am today. How bad I am today. How bad I am today. I did my job. I did not see myself. People have seen 4-6 times in Delhi. I did a few times in Delhi. And I did not see it. And I will watch the other way. I won't see it. I will never see it. I don't have a good film.
[00:17:00] The good film is, too. If I do my job, me I do not have to be impressed. Like you said, you have been doing theatre. We have seen many people who get a big break in Bollywood or fame in Bollywood, they don't go back to the theatre. Is there anything that you can get back to the theatre or plays? Is there anything that you can learn from there?
[00:17:31] Look, in theatre, it doesn't have a benefit financially. But you thought that your craft is all the time chisel, all the time polished. You are live performing. My play is Massage, you have heard of it. I play 24 characters in 2 hours. Every time it happens, I am very anxious.
[00:18:01] I am on my edge when it is a show. Because I am doing a lot of shows. I am very anxious. But it is also a feeling that I am doing a lot of good things today. So, that is a feeling. It is not possible to come from cinema or film. I am not watching this work.
[00:18:27] If I am doing this work in a film or in an ad, I will earn it 10 times. I do not equate it. I do not even do that. It is your passion. I do not equate it mentally. If you start equate it, you will not do theatre. But it is that, there was a lot of time when I did not have work. Every actor's life comes in the way. It is open and down.
[00:18:56] But I was in theatre and I always do. I always play. I play plays now. I play plays now. So, I am not doing that much. But I do not do that. But then, as I did in Durandar. I told Durandar to the day that I signed, I told Aditya Zarath. I said, if I will come to theatre, I will adjust my dates. Probably he signed me only because of it. He saw my body of work. I will work with my commitment in this way. He had the faith that I will be able to pull this role through the way I have.
[00:19:26] I think he had the faith. That is why he took me. Why? Because he saw my body of work. Sir, with everything theatre, plays, movies, writing, you write songs. What is your favourite songs? If you want to hear your musical songs? What kind of song are you that you want to hear? You want to hear a romantic song.
[00:19:56] No, it's not a song. You are a song song. You are a song song. Who are you? You are a song song. You are a song song. You are a song song. So, the song song is the song song. It happens to be water you often non-shoring stream so no water falls. The shore is not an hour, unless you have any more pass.
[00:20:25] Wherever you've shown the shore, downfall will start. Something to understand? Now we can listen to you too. The shore is not an hour, unless you have any pass. If someone says this to you, you are my child. If someone says this to you, you are my child, he is my child. What a joke! What a joke!
[00:20:53] Thank you so much sir for giving us our time. It's been a pleasure talking to you and good luck for everything that's coming for you in life. We are all looking forward to your work and just rooting for you. We will see a new film next 10 days. David Gravan, he is a great man. Done sir. Thank you so much.