You could say Ali has put the bar up for Main Vaapas Aaunga. He’s been open about how Vedang’s performance in him of Alia’s one in Highway. That’s not an easy comparison to make, and it has the young actor on everyone’s mind before we see the film in a few weeks.
What he was after with both of them is a certain emotional weight, not how long they’ve been in the business. The remark has made some waves, given that Highway is something of a byword for good, layered acting from a kid who was just starting out.
Why the comparison landed
Ali doesn’t mince words. “Alia Bhatt in Highway or Vedang Raina in this film (Main Vaapas Aaunga) have shown a depth of emotion,” he said. “Some of the new ones do it without you expecting it. There is a maturity to them.”
For him, it comes down to a more personal view of what an actor can do. In his own words: I have an individualistic take on actors.
Why Highway still matters
Highway was a turning point for Alia after she first came on the scene with Student of the Year in 2012. It was well received and did Rs 53.44 crore at the box office across the world.
It made people sit up and take notice of her as a talent, and you can see it in the films that followed – 2 States, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Raazi, Gully Boy, Gangubai Kathiawadi. So when you are compared to that, it means something.
Vedang Raina’s big moment
Raina is handling the attention fine. On being made out to be the youngest in Ali’s orbit, he was quick to say, “It makes me feel young and also very, very honoured.”
He called it the best thing to happen to him to be in an Ali movie right now and put in a word of thanks to the director. When you’re new to the game, that kind of seal of approval can turn heads.
The film at the centre of it all
You have Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari Wagh and Vedang in the mix for Main Vaapas Aaunga. It’s a story of love and parting set in the time of Partition, handled with the care Ali is known for.
Sameer Nair and Deepak Segal are behind the production, with Mohit Choudhary and Shibasish Sarkar of Window Seat Films. We’ll be in the theatre for it on June 12th; it’s also the second time Ali and Dosanjh have put in an appearance together, after Amar Singh Chamkila.
Inside Ali’s casting philosophy
He doesn’t go for the usual pecking order. What he wants is for an actor to be true to the part, no matter their credits. “Actors are very individualistic,” he will tell you. “They never become veterans. They always remain the same.”
Put another way:
– You don’t need years in the industry to get the emotion right
– A fresh face can come in and show you a side of you didn’t see coming
– Fitting the character is more important than a long filmography
– If the feeling is there, the work will stand up to it
It gives you an idea of what to look for in Raina’s role. Don’t expect any showboating; it’s all in service of the character.
That is why his picks usually work. He has a way of getting something you remember out of an actor, whether they are at the top of their game or just beginning.
Once the movie is over, we’ll see if the Highway tag was fair. But by making that call, Ali is showing he has faith in what he’s found and wants us to pay attention to the finer points.
If it gets the kind of talk around it that Highway did, so much the better for Main Vaapas Aaunga. Come release day, it will be as much about the quiet and the honest as it is about the names on the poster.
