Actor Vineet Raina, who has been a part of the industry for almost 23 years now, is making his international debut with the movie On Different Grounds. Directed by Mildred Okwo and produced by Nicolette Ndigwe, the movie is set to release in theaters in June. It’s a rom-com, where the actor plays the lead opposite Abena Akuaba, who was Miss Ghana.
He said, “The movie has a love triangle, and the story revolves around the complexities of relationships. We shot the project in Lagos and different parts of Nigeria, and all the big stars in Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana are there in this film.”
“I am so happy that I am representing my Indian film industry on an international platform. The film is also selected for the Cannes Film Festival and will be released on a very prominent OTT platform,” he added.
Vineet started his career on television with Mulk, which was based on the India-Pakistan partition. To date he has done over 35 shows, but there are a few shows that are close to his heart. He said, “Maryada…of an Indian family where I played my first lead role. It came on DD National and became an overnight blockbuster show. It was followed by Maayka, which was a turning point in my career, and after that, Har Ghar Kuch Kehata Hai.”
“I am one of the blessed actors in the TV industry because I got to do two shows on the same channel as a lead, which were Maayka and Har Ghar Kuch Kehata Hai, and both are very close to me,” he added.
He has also been a part of shows like Punar Vivah, Lapataganj – Ek Baar Phir, Tum Hi Ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi, Kaala Teeka, and Meri Gudiya. It was a dream come true for him when he was offered to play a lead in Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil by Ekta Kapoor. He added, “Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (YRKKH) is also close to my heart, as Rajan (Shahi) Sir directed Maayka, and working with him in YRKKH was very special. On top of the list is Shirdi Wale Sai Baba, which I did last year. It was a blessing.”
He is happy that with the OTT boom there are many platforms that have come into existence, and TV actors are getting good opportunities. He said, “Earlier there were films, so there was less work for actors, but now with verticals and OTT, the acceptance from Bollywood for TV actors is a great thing. The contribution that the TV actors are making right now in the Hindi film industry is amazing, and it’s so good to watch so many good actors and amazing talent in the films that are recently made.”
“It’s good that TV actors are getting recognition and their dues. More and more talent is getting discovered, and actors are getting bigger platforms to perform on, and it’s a positive sign for the growth of our TV industry, and I am happy for our Hindi film industry,” he added.
Vineet, who was in the OTT series Kasak, is not selective about the projects he is doing. He said, “I believe that you don’t choose the role; the role chooses you. I have always chosen challenging roles. I can never always be a lover boy in a TV show. I always wanted to grow, so I always experimented with myself, be it as a protagonist, antagonist, or in comedy shows that is how I matured as an actor.”
“I have worked with so many production houses, so I am looking forward to doing much better roles and performance-oriented roles, be it in TV or films or verticals or OTT. As an actor, for me, only the role matters more than money and platform because when I like a role, I would love to do it, and that’s how I have been working so far,” he added.
He was nominated at the Filmfare OTT Awards in 2021 for Kasak. “Besides this, I will be seen playing a cricketer in a web series with a very complex storyline titled The Breaking. I will also be seen in a film directed by Girish Malik, titled Band of Maharajas, where I play an antagonist. The film will be released very soon,” he said.
He is looking forward to the release of On Different Grounds. “The best news is that we will be shooting the sequel in India, and I hope they get all the permission and the grants in here to shoot in India, and that will be such an amazing thing for us,” Vineet ended.
