Bollywood actor Rajat Bedi recently made his comeback with Aryan Khan’s web series Ba***ds of Bollywood. In a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Rajat opened up about his early life and revealed how the entire film fraternity used to visit his home when his father, Narendra Bedi, was alive. However, after his father’s death, the industry, he said, completely “abandoned” his family.
Rajat Bedi says Bollywood is an unforgiving industry
Rajat shared that his grandfather, renowned Urdu writer and director Rajinder Singh Bedi, had worked with legends like Prithviraj Kapoor, Dharmendra, and other stalwarts. He also revealed that his father, Narendra Bedi, started his career as an assistant to Raj Kapoor and went on to direct several successful films such as Benaam, Adalat, Jawani Diwani, and more.
Reflecting on his father’s death, Rajat said, “I was nine years old when I lost my father. He was 45. I remember vividly that no one from the industry looked back at us, except for director Prakash Mehra and his family. For about six months to a year after Papa’s death, Prakash-ji sent money to our house, telling my mother, ‘Bhabhi, don’t worry.’ My mother has been a housewife all her life. She hasn’t done anything apart from raising three children on her own. Besides Prakash-ji, no one else looked back. It’s a very unforgiving industry.”
Rajat further recalled, “After that, we were out of the industry until I decided to start working. One day, my mum asked me what I wanted to do. I was lost. She suggested I assist Ramesh Sippy. She spoke to him personally, and he agreed immediately. I was 18 when I joined him and worked on the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Zamaana Deewana. I was quite close to SRK at that time; we worked together for about two and a half years. He used to call me ‘Tiger’ because I was this aggressive guy — and also because there were two Rajats on set.”
About Rajat Bedi
Rajat made his acting debut with the 1998 film 2001: Do Hazaar Ek and went on to appear in films such as International Khiladi, Indian, Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani, Koi… Mil Gaya, Partner, and more. After Partner, the actor stepped away from Bollywood but later appeared in the Kannada film Jaggu Dada and the Telugu film Ahimsa.
In 2025, Rajat ventured into the digital space with Aryan Khan’s directorial debut Ba***ds of Bollywood, a satirical take on the Hindi film industry. The show also stars Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, and Manoj Pahwa in key roles. It received positive reviews from both critics and audiences, with particular praise for Aryan’s sharp direction and humour. The series is currently streaming on Netflix.
