EVERYBODY Loves VEDANG

Vedang Raina talks about his journey from music to acting, his style icons, and why he loves keeping it chic

- EKTA SINHA

The word 'juxtaposition' best describes Vedang Raina. A sci-fi aficionado with a penchant for the '60s, the actor has garnered fans for both his voice and onscreen presence. There's an undeniable innocence to his demeanour, but there's more than meets the eye. Behind his poster-boy pulp fiction looks and angelic voice is a grounded man who's only just begun to discover the allure of his name.

It all began with a tabla when Raina was just a child. His parents encouraged him to pick up an instrument, and he did-until a friend convinced him to switch to the guitar. The nine-year-old's decision proved serendipitous as he quickly became part of the school band, marking the start of his musical journey. However, it wasn't until college that Raina truly began to take music seriously. He joined a music committee and formed a band, which would soon push him into the world of acting.

A chance suggestion from friends, a few portfolio pictures, and some self-recorded covers of songs like 'Phir Le Aya Dil' were sent to agencies, and suddenly, the 17-year-old Raina found himself auditioning for acting roles. His first big break? Zoya Akhtar's 'The Archies'. A surprise phone call, the kind he'd received before but never truly believed. But this time, the deal was real. "I didn't tell my parents until the next day," he laughs, recalling the disbelief.