Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi is currently witnessing a career resurgence following his power-packed performance in Aditya Dhar’s 2025 blockbuster, ‘Dhurandhar.’ At the recently concluded News18 Showsha Reel Awards 2026, the veteran star was honored with the Extraordinary Performance of the Year award for his role as the vile politician Jameel Jamali.While the award recognized his work in the first installment, Bedi used the stage to drop some anecdotes on the highly anticipated sequel, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, which is set to hit theaters on March 19, 2026.
From ‘Uri’ to ‘Dhurandhar’: How Aditya Dhar cast Rakesh Bedi?
While talking to News18, Rakesh Bedi revealed how he landed the role of Jameel Jamali in Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’. For the unversed, Bedi had a brief appearance as an ISI agent in Dhar’s debut film, ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike.’ Impressed by his brief stint, Aditya Dhar approached him years later with a character that was far more layered and menacing.Bedi added, “Aur wo shoot Serbia mein tha. We had planned a full day’s shoot but we wrapped it up in 2.5 hours. So Aditya said, ‘Rakeshji, I’ll give you something nice, you’ve given me this favour and I will give it back to you.’ Many directors keep saying this, I have seen it. But this man, he stood by his commitment and the word he gave me. Usne mujhe khali ek line sunayi thi – aisa role hai, Pakistani minister hai, ye karta hai, ye karta hai, ye karta hai, done! I read the script and it happened” (The shoot was in Serbia. We had planned a full day’s shoot, but we wrapped it up in 2.5 hours. So Aditya said, ‘Rakesh ji, I’ll give you something nice; you’ve done me this favor and I will return it to you.’ Many directors keep saying things like this, I have seen it. But this man, he stood by his commitment and the word he gave me. He had only told me one line—it’s a role like this, he’s a Pakistani minister, he does this, he does that, he does that, done! I read the script and it happened.)In an earlier interview with IANS, Bedi revealed that he meticulously studied the speeches, diction, and body language of several real-life Pakistani politicians to bring authenticity to Jameel Jamali. Bedi said, “The character is inspired by real incidents and is created by combining traits of several Pakistani politicians. I studied the speeches, tones, diction, and body language of many leaders—not just one. The look was designed by Aditya Sir along with the prosthetics team. I focused on the speech pattern, voice, mannerisms, and small nuances that give the character authenticity.”
What to expect from ‘Dhurandhar 2’?
On the red carpet, Bedi described the sequel as “lightning fast” and hinted that the character of Jameel Jamali will take an even darker turn. “There are so many things yet to be revealed that weren’t even in the teaser trailer,” he teased.Touching upon ‘Dhurandhar 2’ trailer and the joke of the duck at the end of it, “It was not in the script. So I asked Aditya if ducks are going to be there, he said yes. I asked him if I could crack a joke. It was a serious scene. It was an intense scene, I thought let’s lighten it up. Sanjay Dut, Arjun Rampal all were present, they all cracked up. There was a huge laughter. I said, see it worked. Let’s use it. Aditya said, okay, lets us e this.When asked about who is Bade Sahab in ‘Dhurandhar 2’, Bedi denied knowing anything about it. He joked that even if he knew, he couldn’t reveal it.The sequel will see Ranveer Singh reprising his role as Hamza Ali Mazari aka Jaskirat Singh Rangi, while the antagonist role shifts toward Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal and Sanjay Dutt as SP Chaudhary Aslam.
