From Koi Mil Gaya to The Ba***ds of Bollywood: The Untold Story of Rajat Bedi

For everyone who watched The Bast***ds of Bollywood, I bet most of you had the exact same reaction when Rajat Bedi appeared on screen.

“Wait… I’ve seen this guy somewhere before!”

When I watched it with my mom, I said, “I know this guy from somewhere,” and she immediately replied, “Yeah, he looks familiar.”
Then I said Mom... I know now, he's that guy from Koi Mil Gaya!

And the very first dialogue that popped into my mind was:

“Come on boys, let’s teach Rohit basketball!”

That overconfident bully with perfect hair and a punchable grin… the one who made us all feel deeply empathetic toward Rohit.

But behind that iconic on-screen arrogance lies a real story—
a story of lost fame, unfair cuts from major films, and a comeback no one saw coming.

Cinema was in his blood. Rajat Bedi was the son of Narendra Bedi, the celebrated filmmaker behind Bollywood classics. Even his grandfather was a noted Urdu writer.

Before acting, Rajat conquered the runway — winning the 1994 Grasim Manhunt Contest. Tall, charming, and confident, he seemed destined for stardom. Yet, when he entered Bollywood, the spotlight slipped away.

He appeared in films like 2001 and International Khiladi, always visible but never noticed. As one fan joked, “He was in every movie, just never in the poster.”

He was cast in Koi Mil Gaya (2003) because his unique selling point was basketball. The makers needed someone who could actually play, not just act like it. Rajat fit the brief perfectly. That’s how he became Raj Saxena, the arrogant basketball bully, delivering one of the most unforgettable scenes in the film.

Yet, while audiences loved to hate him, Rajat’s real experience was far from golden. He later revealed that Rakesh Roshan cut many of his scenes, including a full romantic track, haila haila hua hua with Preity Zinta.

He said, “I had a full track with Preity, but they cut it completely. They didn’t even invite me to promotions,” he said in an interview.

Furthermore, he revealed that he got multiple cheques from Koi Mil Gaya, which were supposed to be his payment, but when he tried to cash them… they BOUNCED.”

Despite the fact that the film became a blockbuster, for Rajat, it was heartbreak disguised as success.

Rajat stayed patient, hoping the next role would change his fate. Instead, nepotism changed his script.

In Rocky: The Rebel (2006), he worked alongside Zayed Khan only to find his scenes edited out again, this time by Zayed’s own father.

“When dads start editing films for their sons, others get cut out,” Rajat remarked bitterly.

It was the moment he realised Bollywood wasn’t a fair game. He said, “I have been a part of a lot of hit films. But never did I get my due; others would take the dues, celebrate the success and all. And I would just be, okay, carry on to the next project. And somewhere that was very disheartening... I was getting name and recognition. But financially, it was going nowhere because I wasn’t making any big money.”

Doors closed quietly. Calls stopped coming. Bollywood had moved on without him.

Before leaving India, Rajat went through one of the most difficult phases of his life. He often spoke about lying awake through the night, unable to sleep, consumed by uncertainty. But what he felt most grateful for was that his wife was supported him throughout. In an interview, he said his wife would often be very scared and worried about him, yet she always tried to reassure him, saying, “We’ll work it out. We’ll do something else.”

“At one point, I was completely done; I was having nervous breakdowns. I was on tablets... I couldn’t see the future ahead. Everything was dependent on the film’s release, and after a point, even my wife couldn’t handle it, and she suggested that we get out of here."

He eventually moved to Canada, hoping for a fresh start, but life didn’t go as planned. He tried his hand at real estate, but deals fell through, and some of his Bollywood payments never arrived.

Still, Rajat didn’t lose hope. He decided to team up with his sister, a talented writer behind shows like Hitler Didi. He stepped into TV production. Slowly, he rebuilt his life, far from the limelight that once burned him.

There were several times Rajat tried to return to Bollywood, but nothing solid came his way. He didn’t have a meaningful job for 15 years but then suddenly, things changed.

Aryan Khan, who was a big fan of Koi Mil Gaya loved Rajat's screen presence but was also aware of how he suddenly disappeared from films. While writing The Bast**ds of Bollywood, he knew who he wanted for Jaraj Saxena's part. Aryan was looking for someone who knew deeply what happens inside Bollywood. Someone who faced the highs and the lows, and as a result, Rajat became not just a great choice, but the only choice.

So one day, while Rajat was still living in Canada, he received a call from a friend who was approached by Red Chillies, saying that Aryan Khan is looking for him. He was surprised when he found out that Aryan didn’t want to act but wanted to direct. After knowing this, he flew to India immediately and had a meeting with Aryan around December 2022. 

During his meeting with Aryan, Rajat highly praised him for his down-to-earth attitude. He said Aryan kept calling him 'sir' and making him comfortable, despite being the son of a superstar. He said Aryan told him “Sir, if you don’t do this role, I’ll remove the character.” Rajat was so moved that he agreed for the role on the spot.

And just like that—boom—he was back. The same guy who once bullied Rohit on screen, now holding a basketball again. Full circle.

After all the setbacks and quiet years, he finally returns to Bollywood.