Most 90s kids will remember Omi Sharma’s character in the 1982 classic film, Chashme Buddoor. Actor Rakesh Bedi—who portrayed the role of Sharma—delivered a performance with a dash of brusque humour. The thespian who serves unbridled laughter on stage has also been a popular face on Indian TV.
Ask Bedi (67) to take us through his formative years in the capital—he completed his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Andrews Ganj—and he shares, “We had a normal, middle-class family. But, I
was always hell-bent on becoming an actor, right from an early age.”
Over time, he honed his craft with utmost dedication, and joined the Film and Television Institute Of India, Pune, to pursue acting. Bedi started out as a supporting actor in the 1979 film Hamare Tumhare, which also starred the iconic Sanjeev Kumar in the lead role. He later worked in a number of films including Ek Duuje Ke Liye, and Uri: The Surgical Strike. However, he is most known for packing a comic punch in hit TV serials such as Yes Boss, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, F.I.R., and more.
His screen innings aside, the veteran actor has had a storied stint in theatre, which comprises associations with a number of groups including the Delhi-based Pierrot’s Troupe for his play Massage, in which he has portrayed 24 characters with ease. “Pierrot’s Troupe hosted Massage, and we did it in partnership. I have done one or two shows with them,” shares Bedi, who will be in the city for his upcoming play, Wrong Number —it will be presented by Indian theatre personality and entrepreneur Rahul Bhuchar’s Felicity Theatre, a leading city-based theatre group that has also bought the Indian epic Mahabharata on stage. “I have done around 200 shows with Felicity Theatre, and that is my main theatre group,” Bedi adds.
From screen to stage
Wrong Number has an all-star cast—apart from Bedi, it has a slew of talents such as Delnaaz Irani, Kishwer Merchant, and Rahul Bhuchar. We quiz Bedi on what the Delhi audience can expect from this punchy comic caper—it will be staged at the Kamani Auditorium over the weekend—and he divulges, “The audience immediately looks up for a great time, an extravaganza filled with fun. I make sure that they are not just laughter guns, but thought-provoking as well.”
Many faces of the actor
Making a proud admission, Bedi says that he is among a handful of actors who have been active concurrently in film, TV, and theatre for more than four decades. As he concludes the chat with us, he shares that the stage is a space he can’t do without, given the joy it brings to him, “I don’t think there has been a single month in my life when I have not stepped on stage, barring the two years of COVID. It is really fun, and I can say that because I have been so busy. I have done thousands of episodes and shows of various plays put together and hundreds of films. In spite of all this, I have always found time for theatre.”
CHECK IT OUT
What: ‘Wrong Number’
When: April 8, 3:30 pm and April 9, 7:00 pm
Where: Kamani Auditorium, Mandi House, New Delhi