Can you imagine Rakesh Bedi playing a character who calmly picks up the phone and orders a hit job? Probably not. After all, for almost four decades, the actor, 71, displayed his command over comedy. But in Dhurandhar, filmmaker Aditya Dhar has turned one of Bollywood’s most adored comedians into a villain.

Bedi, who plays the Pakistani politician Jameel in the Ranveer Singh-led spy actioner, admits he didn’t see the role coming.

“There is a uniqueness to my character. He is the kind of man who knows how to be in the [good books] of powerful people. His mindset was important to crack. He is menacing, but also has a wicked humour. When I heard the narration, I realised how intense it is. My character’s violence is hidden. He can pull strings, has an eerie smile and a knife in his pocket, and kills without remorse.”

It takes imagination to envision a much-loved comedian as a menacing villain, who can hold his own in front of stars Singh, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, and Arjun Rampal. Bedi singularly credits Dhar for that. And for his conviction.

“Aditya is a beautiful storyteller. What I liked is that he stuck to his guns about casting me. He was asked to take a bigger star, but he knew what I bring to the table. A director committed to tell his story regardless of optics is rare. Aditya wanted to explore something different that no one has brought out in me, in a while.”

If Dhar gave him a conniving politician on paper, the senior actor ran with it, infusing his character with humour. He explains, “There were spaces where a comedic after-feeling could be explored. Aditya was initially reluctant, but let me run with it. Once that happened, maza aa gaya!”

Rakesh Bedi reflects that the cast of ‘Dhurandhar’, especially leading man Ranveer Singh, was deeply committed to the movie. He recalls, “Ranveer would never leave the set till the last shot had been taken. He became almost an AD [assistant director]. When he wasn’t shooting, he was helping the director and production. All actors on this film felt like doing more, stretching themselves thin for Aditya.”