Vedang Raina on winning the Bombay Times Headliners: Rising Star award! I'm only getting started

He made his debut with The Archies, and then went on and pulled off a solid act with Jigra. Now he is winning praise for his recent success, Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga. With an exciting slate ahead, Vedang Raina is firmly on the industry’s radar as star to watch out for. Honoured with the Bombay Times Headliners: Rising Star award, Vedang says the recognition is both humbling and motivating as he continues to build his career, one step at a time.Talking about winning the award, he says, “It genuinely means a lot to receive this recognition. Looking back, every project has taught me something different. The Archies gave me my first opportunity and introduced me to audiences, but the most important part of the journey has been about trusting my instincts and choosing work that excites and challenges me as an actor. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with filmmakers who have pushed me to grow, and every experience has added another layer to my understanding of the craft.

I still feel like I’m only getting started, so this award is incredibly encouraging and motivates me to keep learning and working harder.”He adds, “I see it more as motivation than pressure. Expectations are a privilege because they mean people are invested in your journey and believe you’re capable of more. Of course, you always want to do justice to that belief, but I’ve realised the only thing I can really control is the effort I put into my work and the honesty I bring to every role.

If I stay focused on the process rather than the noise around it, I think everything else will fall into place.

Awards like this remind you to pause for a moment and appreciate how far you’ve come, but they also remind you that there’s still so much more to achieve. I’m grateful for the love, and I hope this is just the beginning of a long and meaningful journey.”