Rajat Bedi’s journey in Bollywood is a story of talent, struggle, and perseverance. Despite being born into a film family, his path to recognition was anything but easy. The son of director-producer Narendra Bedi and grandson of legendary writer-director Rajinder Singh Bedi, Rajat had the pedigree, but fame didn’t come naturally. He appeared in several films in like ‘2001: Do Hazaar Ek’, ‘International Khiladi, Indian’, ‘Koi… Mil Gaya’, ‘Rakht’, ‘Khamoshh… Khauff Ki Raat’, and ‘Rocky – The Rebel’, yet he never managed to land the breakthrough roles that could cement his place in the industry. Eventually, work became scarce, and he stepped away from cinema, moving to Canada in search of a new livelihood.
Rajat Bedi shares how Prakash Mehra stood by him and his family
Rajat’s early life shaped his resilience. He lost his father at the age of nine, leaving his mother to raise three children alone. During an interview with Siddharth Kannan, he 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 her entire life. She hasn’t done anything besides bringing three children up on her own. Besides Prakash-ji, no one else looked back. It’s a very unforgiving industry.” Two years later, his grandfather also passed away, leaving the family out of the industry until Rajat was ready to step in.
Shah Rukh Khan had a nickname for Rajat Bedi
Guided by his mother’s advice, Rajat began his film career by assisting legendary filmmaker Ramesh Sippy at 18. He worked on ‘Zamaana Deewana’, starring Shah Rukh Khan, for over two years. During this period, Shah Rukh Khan nicknamed him “Tiger” for his aggressive nature and to differentiate him from another Rajat on set. Rajat fondly remembered Shah Rukh’s support years later. “I remember going to his house for the preview. It was an extended trailer, so he had invited some close people. Before the screening, he made a little speech about the show. He spoke about me as well, mentioning, ‘And Tiger is also a part of this.’ I was (surprised) that he still remembered that name. He doesn’t forget anything.”
Return and recognition
After a hiatus, Rajat returned to India and explored regional cinema before gaining attention with Aryan Khan’s ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’. He is being loved for his performance in the series, which is available on Netflix.
