India, May 18 -- For Vedang Raina, being given a shout-out in filmmaker Hansal Mehta's list of promising new faces in the Hindi film industry is a form of validation which doesn't "compare to anything else". Earlier this year, Hansal praised the actor's chops, calling him a "screen-stealer". Ask him about it and Vedang says, "As a newcomer, getting validation from a filmmaker whom I admire is a great honour. This has motivated me to keep getting better." Despite the high praise, it's been an uncertain time in the film industry and getting work that connects with audiences is a bigger challenge than ever. How is he navigating this? "Covid was a weird turning point and I came to films right after that. It's a time where there is a rapid shift and a change in how the industry is working." However, the actor, who debuted with The Archies (2023), hasn't been seen on the big screen since Jigra in 2024. He admits, "It's difficult - you can't predict anything. But as an artiste, it gives me the freedom to pick things that I believe in. I think my generation of actors will be the herald of this change." The 24-year-old, who is rumoured to be part of a romantic film directed by Imtiaz Ali, adds that the progression of a male lead has also changed: "Things that used to work don't anymore. There's no formula of, 'First do an actioner then a rom-com'. It's about choosing interesting scripts. I'm excited to see what my peers do and what kind of scripts come to me."...