Since actor Vedang Raina made his debut in the acting industry in 2023 with Netflix’s The Archies, he has since starred in Vasan Bala’s Jigra, alongside big-name actress Alia Bhatt. The film, which received mixed reviews from critics, failed to make any substantial monetary returns at the box office, making it one of Bollywood’s biggest duds of 2024.
In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Raina revealed that appearing on the big screen for the first time in Jigra was beyond his dreams. “It was so different. The only time I saw myself on the big screen was during the Jigra premiere. It was special to be a part of a film like this with Alia. With Vasan Bala sir directing and Karan Johar backing it, it was always a big deal. I couldn't have ever dreamt for that to happen in my second film. It meant a lot, so a lot of positives from there.”
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Acknowledging the film’s poor performance at the box office and tepid reviews, the 24-year-old said, “As an actor, you put in the work for over a year for a project. You want the audience to like it, enjoy it, receive it in a good way, be entertained and be moved. These are the things that we aim for. We do all the mehnat (effort) behind the scenes to get some sort of validation and appreciation for our work, and for people to enjoy it. So, when that kind of goes a miss, or some people react a certain way, you question what you could have done better, what things could have gone differently. It’s a very natural way of dealing with things.”
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Raina hopes that his experience with The Archies and Jigra can deliver as stepping stones to his future in the industry. “It's now been a year in the industry for me, so I'm getting to understand these aspects of the industry a lot better. There are a lot of good things and constructive criticism to take away from Jigra. The pursuit is still the same, becoming better with every film, improving and honing what you're doing and maybe reaching a state somewhere in life where it all pays off. You keep working, rest is all up to the universe”.
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Jigra could only manage to collect Rs 50 crore worldwide against a budget of Rs 80 crore.
