Vedang Raina is fresh off the success of his latest release, Main Vaapas Aaunga, and this romantic partition drama clearly displays the maturity in him as a credible performer. As Keenu, Raina touched corners of vulnerability, young love, youth and separation all while highlighting the roots of Punjab and a colonial Western backdrop.

But did you know that Vedang built a playlist around what Keenu would realistically listen to? “Given that Keenu’s coming of age took place through 1947, I built a playlist around what he would realistically hear and the music that would’ve played on the radio,” he says.

“Frank Sinatra was just getting big; there was Bing Crosby, a strong jazz influence, which is surprising if you think about Punjab at the time. You’d assume it was all Punjabi folk, and a lot of it was, but colonisation meant Western music had seeped in too. I also went deep into Kundan Lal Saigal and Alam Lohar,” he continues.

Admiring the Oscar-winning AR Rahman's musical brilliance in Ishq Mastana, he mentions, “There’s a song in the film, “Ishq Mastana”, that reflects that sort of imbibed music. [AR] Rahman sir has somehow mixed Punjabi folk with jazz, which sounds bizarre on paper but is beautiful on record.”

Bringing such a deep level of investment into pulling off a challenging character highlights Raina’s mature approach in understanding his role. And honestly, this dedication proves he’s here for the long haul!