'Shot in dark': 'The Archies' star Vedang Raina on acting
Vedang Raina shot to fame with Zoya Akhtar's The Archies (2023), where he played the role of Reginald "Reggie" Mantle. The film—which also starred Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda, Mihir Ahuja, Yuvraj Menda, and Dot—premiered on Netflix in December last year. Though the film received mixed reviews, Raina was termed a "breakout" star by many. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, he has now opened up about his journey from being a musician to an actor.
This is how it all began for Raina
Raina told HT, "When I was in school and college, I was more into music. I [performed] on stage, and that's how I was all my life." "It was much later in my college days that I decided to start learning about modeling and acting." "My first year of college, around 2018...I sent my portfolio to a modeling agency randomly. It was a shot in the dark. I did it to see how it goes, along with pursuing my degree."
Raina's entry into modeling and acting
Raina subsequently spoke about how the agency was instrumental in introducing him to the acting world. "They started sending me for auditions. I would just get a message saying, 'Aaj chaar baje Araam Nagar (audition hub in Mumbai) paunch jao, anti-dandruff shampoo ki ad hai (reach Aaram Nagar for anti-dandruff shampoo ad at four o'clock).'" "I would get time from college, go home, and then go to the audition. It was a very regular experience," he added.
Straddling two worlds: Studies and auditions
As Raina attended more auditions, his love for acting grew, eventually leading him to try out for a role in Akhtar's film. He explained, "I had been to audition in every office. Also, because I was pursuing my degree, it didn't feel like my life depended on auditions. That maybe gave me space." "I was genuinely enjoying acting, that's why I could apply myself to it," he said.
This is what he said about starring in 'Jigra'
Raina is rumored to be part of Vasan Bala's upcoming thriller Jigra, led by Alia Bhatt. Raina, however, has neither confirmed nor denied these speculations. He earlier told The Indian Express, "Everyone keeps asking me this, but I am not sure what it is about. It sounds very exciting to be a part of a project like that." "There will always be rumors floating around, but to play a sibling to [Bhatt] sounds like a very interesting opportunity."
Know more about Raina, his education, social media following
An alumnus of the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, Raina found himself gravitating toward music and acting during his college years. Matthew McConaughey and Hrithik Roshan are his acting inspirations. He's followed by 220K people on Instagram and can be found on @vedangraina. Before The Archies's release, he described his character as someone with a "too-cool-for-school attitude" but also "a big heart."