# Vedang Raina
**Vedang Raina** is an Indian actor and singer who works in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema), known for playing [Reggie Mantle](https://www.edgepedia.org/reggie-mantle) in [Zoya Akhtar](https://www.edgepedia.org/zoya-akhtar)'s *The Archies* (2023), Ankur in Vasan Bala's *Jigra* (2024), and Keenu in Imtiaz Ali's *Main Vaapas Aaunga* (2026).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/) IMDb lists his birth year as 2000 and his birthplace as Mumbai; Rotten Tomatoes lists a 1995 birth year, and the two sources disagree.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vedang_raina)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Debut | Reggie Mantle in *The Archies* (2023), Zoya Akhtar's Netflix adaptation of the Archie comics, set in a fictional Anglo-Indian community in 1964 India[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) |
| Second film | *Jigra* (2024), directed by Vasan Bala; played Ankur, Alia Bhatt's brother, imprisoned for a crime he did not commit[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) |
| Breakout role | Keenu in *Main Vaapas Aaunga* (2026), Imtiaz Ali's Partition romance; he plays the young version of Naseeruddin Shah's character[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) • [4](https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/main-vaapas-aaunga-review-imtiaz-ali-diljit-naseerudin-shah-vedang-raina) |
| Singing | Sang "Maskara", composed by A. R. Rahman, in *Main Vaapas Aaunga*; earlier sang "Phoolon ka taaro ka" in *Jigra* and "Everything Is Politics" in *The Archies*[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) |
| Education | Jamnabai Narsee School, then a business degree at SVKM's NMIMS in Mumbai[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/) |
| Box office | *Jigra* earned ₹306.9 million (₹30.69 crore) lifetime in India (verdict: flop); *Main Vaapas Aaunga* earned ₹653.1 million (₹65.306 crore) in India (verdict: average)[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/vedang-raina/box-office/) |
| Recognition | 7 wins and 7 nominations per IMDb, including a 2024 Times of India Film Awards (OTT Edition) nomination for debut actor for *The Archies*[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/awards/) |
## Early life and path into acting
Raina was born and brought up in Mumbai and studied at Jamnabai Narsee School before pursuing a business degree at SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies ([NMIMS](https://www.edgepedia.org/svkms-nmims)).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/) His family are [Kashmiri Pandits](https://www.edgepedia.org/kashmiri-pandits) who left Srinagar in the 1990s, moved to Delhi, and later settled in Mumbai; he visited Srinagar for the first time in 2023 with his family.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/)
**Music came first.** Raina's original ambition was to become a musician. He performed at inter-school and inter-college festivals, sang, and played the guitar, and in his first year of college, around 2018, he sent his portfolio to a modeling agency to look for music opportunities and modeling work.[7](https://www.gqindia.com/content/gq-hype-vedang-raina-on-getting-into-bollywood-acting-with-alia-bhatt-and-his-fashion-tenets) • [8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/vedang-raina-acting-was-a-shot-in-the-dark-for-me-i-was-interested-in-music-101708116164618.html) The agency suggested he audition for acting; his first audition, by his own account, went badly, but he liked the experience and shifted his focus from music to acting.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) He auditioned for roughly two years before landing *The Archies*, and has said that had he not cracked that audition he planned to pursue a master's degree and was preparing for a job interview.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) • [9](https://curlytales.com/vedang-raina-almost-scored-a-job-before-his-first-movie-came-along/)
## Career
**The Archies (2023).** Raina made his debut as Reggie Mantle in Zoya Akhtar's *The Archies*, released on Netflix on 7 December 2023 alongside Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Dot, and Yuvraj Menda.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/) • [5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/vedang-raina/box-office/) He had initially auditioned for the title role of Archie before being asked to test for Reggie, a part he at first saw as the antagonist or comic relief.[10](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/entertainment/acting-saved-me-vedang-raina-on-fame-breaking-into-bollywood-and-the-gen-z-mindset) The film received mixed reviews, but his performance drew some of the strongest notices in the cast.[11](https://www.easterneye.biz/vedang-raina-interview/) On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds 63% from critics and 80% from audiences.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vedang_raina)
**Jigra (2024).** Before *The Archies* had even been released, Raina was cast in Vasan Bala's action film *Jigra*, released 11 October 2024, co-starring [Alia Bhatt](https://www.edgepedia.org/alia-bhatt).[11](https://www.easterneye.biz/vedang-raina-interview/) • [5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/vedang-raina/box-office/) He played Ankur, Bhatt's brother, who is imprisoned abroad for a crime he did not commit.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) He has described the two roles as polar opposites and said he prepared for scenes by spending two to three hours in his character's headspace.[12](https://www.thepeacockmagazine.com/bollywoods-youngest-heartthrob-vedang-raina) The film earned ₹306.9 million (₹30.69 crore) lifetime in India and was rated a flop by Bollywood Hungama.[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/vedang-raina/box-office/)
**Main Vaapas Aaunga (2026).** Raina's third film, Imtiaz Ali's period romance *Main Vaapas Aaunga*, released in theaters on 12 June 2026 with [Diljit Dosanjh](https://www.edgepedia.org/diljit-dosanjh), Sharvari, and [Naseeruddin Shah](https://www.edgepedia.org/naseeruddin-shah) in lead roles.[13](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/vedang-raina-says-audiences-advocated-for-main-vaapas-aaunga-when-they-tried-and-failed-at-marketing-imtiaz-ali-101783845896993.html) He plays Keenu, a Sikh teenager in Sargodha in pre-Partition Punjab who loses his home and his first love; in old age the character, played by Naseeruddin Shah, is a 95-year-old patriarch in [Chandigarh](https://www.edgepedia.org/chandigarh) who wants to return to Sargodha.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) • [4](https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/main-vaapas-aaunga-review-imtiaz-ali-diljit-naseerudin-shah-vedang-raina) To play the 18-year-old, the 26-year-old Raina lost the muscle he had built and studied Sikh culture for the role, his first Sikh character.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) • [14](https://www.amarujala.com/entertainment/celebs-interviews/vedang-raina-exclusive-interview-starring-in-movie-main-vaapas-aaunga-directed-by-imtiaz-ali-2026-06-09) The Quint's review wrote that nothing in his previous two films prepared viewers for his "deeply moving performance".[4](https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/main-vaapas-aaunga-review-imtiaz-ali-diljit-naseerudin-shah-vedang-raina)
The film opened poorly, with an opening weekend of ₹56.3 million (₹5.63 crore) in India against a first day of ₹12.8 million (₹1.28 crore), but word of mouth turned it into one of 2026's notable slow-burn successes: ₹653.1 million (₹65.306 crore) lifetime in India and ₹934.2 million (₹93.42 crore) worldwide by mid-July 2026.[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/vedang-raina/box-office/) • [13](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/vedang-raina-says-audiences-advocated-for-main-vaapas-aaunga-when-they-tried-and-failed-at-marketing-imtiaz-ali-101783845896993.html) On Rotten Tomatoes it is his highest-rated film at 86% from critics and 92% from audiences.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vedang_raina) After the film's success Raina said he was in no rush to sign his next project.[15](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/vedang-raina-is-in-no-rush-to-sign-next-film-after-success-of-main-vaapas-aaunga-jigra-archies-bollywood-imtiaz-ali-101785319074832.html/)
## Music
Singing remains central to Raina's work. In *Main Vaapas Aaunga* he sang "Maskara", composed by [A. R. Rahman](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-r-rahman), an experience he called one of the best things that had happened to him; he had previously sung "Phoolon ka taaro ka" in *Jigra* and "Everything Is Politics" in *The Archies*.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) • [16](https://www.esquireindia.co.in/entertainment/the-interview/vedang-raina-on-film-main-vaapas-aaunga-singing-for-ar-rahman-and-career) He has said he has never been paid for any of the songs he has sung in his films, and he hopes to release original music, gravitating toward R&B and indie sounds on acoustic guitar.[17](https://openthemagazine.com/entertainment/open-dialogues-vedang-raina-opens-up-no-film-school-no-pay-for-singing-his-dicaprio-moment) • [11](https://www.easterneye.biz/vedang-raina-interview/)
## Reception and recognition
Across his first three films, reviewers have repeatedly singled Raina out even when the films themselves divided critics: *The Archies* and *Jigra* received mixed reactions, while *Main Vaapas Aaunga* drew broadly positive reviews.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/) IMDb records 7 wins and 7 nominations for him, including a 2024 Times of India Film Awards (OTT Edition) nomination for Debut Actor of the Year in Web Films for *The Archies* and a 2024 FOI Online Award nomination for Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast for *Jigra*.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/awards/) Filmmaker Hansal Mehta included him in a list of breakout male talent he described as carrying "the promise of something powerful, fragile, raw".[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/)
## References
1. [Vedang Raina, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/)
2. [Vedang Raina Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vedang_raina)
3. [From a failed audition to finding his groove in Main Vaapas Aaunga: Vedang Raina's journey, The Indian Express (June 2026)](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/vedang-raina-on-portraying-loss-and-displacement-in-main-vaapas-aaunga-10759603/)
4. ['Main Vaapas Aaunga' Review: Imtiaz Ali's Flawed but Affecting Partition Story, The Quint (June 2026)](https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/main-vaapas-aaunga-review-imtiaz-ali-diljit-naseerudin-shah-vedang-raina)
5. [Vedang Raina Box Office Collection, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/vedang-raina/box-office/)
6. [Vedang Raina Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13662354/awards/)
7. [GQ Hype: Vedang Raina on getting into Bollywood, acting with Alia Bhatt, and his fashion tenets, GQ India (August 2024)](https://www.gqindia.com/content/gq-hype-vedang-raina-on-getting-into-bollywood-acting-with-alia-bhatt-and-his-fashion-tenets)
8. [Vedang Raina: Acting was a shot in the dark for me, I was interested in music, Hindustan Times (February 2024)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/vedang-raina-acting-was-a-shot-in-the-dark-for-me-i-was-interested-in-music-101708116164618.html)
9. [Vedang Raina Almost Scored A Job Before His First Movie Came Along, Curly Tales (June 2026)](https://curlytales.com/vedang-raina-almost-scored-a-job-before-his-first-movie-came-along/)
10. ['Acting saved me': Vedang Raina on fame, breaking into Bollywood and the Gen-Z mindset, Khaleej Times](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/entertainment/acting-saved-me-vedang-raina-on-fame-breaking-into-bollywood-and-the-gen-z-mindset)
11. [Vedang Raina: Rising star balancing Bollywood, music, and big screen dreams, Eastern Eye (March 2025)](https://www.easterneye.biz/vedang-raina-interview/)
12. [Bollywood's Youngest Heartthrob - Vedang Raina, The Peacock Magazine](https://www.thepeacockmagazine.com/bollywoods-youngest-heartthrob-vedang-raina)
13. [Vedang Raina says audiences 'advocated' for Main Vaapas Aaunga when they 'tried and failed' at marketing, Hindustan Times (July 2026)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/vedang-raina-says-audiences-advocated-for-main-vaapas-aaunga-when-they-tried-and-failed-at-marketing-imtiaz-ali-101783845896993.html)
14. [Vedang Raina Exclusive Interview on Main Vaapas Aaunga, Amar Ujala (June 2026)](https://www.amarujala.com/entertainment/celebs-interviews/vedang-raina-exclusive-interview-starring-in-movie-main-vaapas-aaunga-directed-by-imtiaz-ali-2026-06-09)
15. [Vedang Raina is in no rush to sign next film after success of Main Vaapas Aaunga, Hindustan Times (August 2026)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/vedang-raina-is-in-no-rush-to-sign-next-film-after-success-of-main-vaapas-aaunga-jigra-archies-bollywood-imtiaz-ali-101785319074832.html/)
16. [Vedang Raina on Main Vaapas Aaunga, Singing for AR Rahman & His Career Journey, Esquire India (May 2026)](https://www.esquireindia.co.in/entertainment/the-interview/vedang-raina-on-film-main-vaapas-aaunga-singing-for-ar-rahman-and-career)
17. [Vedang Raina Opens Up on Skipping Film School, Unpaid Singing Gigs and His Big 'DiCaprio Moment', OPEN Dialogues](https://openthemagazine.com/entertainment/open-dialogues-vedang-raina-opens-up-no-film-school-no-pay-for-singing-his-dicaprio-moment)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of South Asia › Indian screen actors, 2000s onward › Surnames Pu to Se*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license