Rajat Bedi’s Big Comeback: From Koi Mil Gaya Betrayal to The Ba****ds of Bollywood Stardom

Bollywood is full of stories where actors shine for a moment and then fade away. But very few get a chance at redemption like Rajat Bedi. Once written off after years of professional setbacks and personal struggles, the 55-year-old actor has stunned everyone with his powerful return in Aryan Khan’s Netflix series The Ba****ds of Bollywood.

This is not just a comeback story. It’s about betrayal, resilience, and the magic of second chances.

The Early Spark That Dimmed Too Soon

Rajat Bedi came from a respected film family. His grandfather Rajinder Singh Bedi was a celebrated writer, and his father Narendra Bedi a successful director. Winning the first Gladrags Manhunt contest in 1994, he stepped into films with big hopes.

His most famous role was as villain Raj Saxena in Hrithik Roshan’s Koi… Mil Gaya (2003). Ironically, the film that should have made him a household name ended up sidelining him.

The Koi… Mil Gaya Betrayal

While the film became a blockbuster, Bedi revealed that many of his important scenes with Hrithik and Preity Zinta were chopped off in the final cut. Even worse, he was kept out of all promotions.

“Koi Mil Gaya was such a big hit, but it didn’t benefit me. I was completely left out,” Rajat once shared.

That exclusion pushed him into depression. The same pattern repeated later—his scenes in Rocky – The Rebel (2006) were allegedly cut to favour star kids. Disillusioned by nepotism, he walked away from Bollywood.

Life in Canada and More Struggles

Leaving India, Bedi tried to rebuild himself in Vancouver as a real estate developer. But bad business partners cheated him, leaving him with heavy losses. Adding to his troubles, a 2021 car accident in Mumbai brought negative press, even though he had helped the victim and cooperated with police.

It looked like Rajat Bedi’s Bollywood story was over.

Aryan Khan: The Angel of His Comeback

Just when hope seemed lost, destiny knocked on his door. In 2022, Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, then making his directorial debut, called Rajat to Mumbai. Aryan had grown up watching Koi… Mil Gaya and had written a character inspired by Rajat’s real life.

That role became Jaraj Saxena in The Ba****ds of Bollywood a faded actor trapped in a restrictive contract, mirroring Bedi’s own struggles.

Rajat agreed to do it, but only after putting a firm condition to Aryan—a sign that he had learned to protect himself after years of betrayal.

When Reel Life Met Real Life

The performance that followed was raw and real. One viral moment came when Jaraj says:

“There is a difference between getting defeated and accepting defeat.”

Fans said, “In this scene, Rajat Bedi was not acting—he was living his truth.”

The Stunning Resurrection

The Netflix series, released on September 18, 2025, made Rajat Bedi a hot topic overnight. Memes, edits, and fan pages flooded social media.

His IMDb India ranking shot from #954 to #9 in just days. Audiences declared it the “greatest comeback ever.”

Family, Support & Future

Bedi credits his wife for standing by him through his darkest times. His sister Ila Bedi Dutta continues to shine as a writer, and his son is preparing to join the industry, keeping the family legacy alive.

Now, Rajat has confirmed he will return in Season 2 of The Ba****ds of Bollywood. Fans are also demanding his reunion with Hrithik Roshan in Krrish 4.

Why Rajat Bedi’s Comeback Matters

In an industry known for discarding talent, Rajat Bedi’s return is more than personal redemption—it’s proof that true talent never dies. With digital platforms creating space for new voices and forgotten ones, his journey shows that sometimes the second act can be even stronger than the first.

As Rajat himself says:

“I don’t want this time to go away.”

And neither do we. Q1. Why did Rajat Bedi leave Bollywood after Koi Mil Gaya? Rajat Bedi revealed that many of his key scenes were cut from Koi Mil Gaya, and he was excluded from the film’s promotions. This experience, along with repeated nepotism-driven sidelining, pushed him to leave Bollywood.

Q2. What role does Rajat Bedi play in Aryan Khan’s The Bads of Bollywood? In the Netflix series, Rajat Bedi plays Jaraj Saxena, a struggling actor sidelined by the industry—a character inspired by his own real-life struggles.

Q3. How did Aryan Khan bring Rajat Bedi back to acting? Aryan Khan personally approached Rajat Bedi for the role, saying the character was written specifically for him. Aryan insisted that if Bedi refused, the role wouldn’t exist in the show.

Q4. Is Rajat Bedi returning in The Bads of Bollywood Season 2? Yes, Rajat Bedi has confirmed that he will reprise his role as Jaraj Saxena in Season 2 of Aryan Khan’s Netflix series.

Q5. What is Rajat Bedi’s IMDb ranking after his comeback? Following the success of The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, Rajat Bedi jumped from #954 to #9 on IMDb India’s Most Popular Celebrities list.