Art & Entertainment

Randeep Hooda On Helming 'Swatantryaveer Savarkar': Have Newfound Respect For My Directors 

'SwatantryaVeer Savarkar' will see actor Randeep Hooda at the helm of affairs making his directorial debut.

Randeep Hooda
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Randeep Hooda, who recently featured in Netflix's original series ‘CAT’, is all set to make his directorial debut with the upcoming film, 'SwatantryaVeer Savarkar' based on V. D. Savarkar. The film will be shot in Maharashtra and London and will also see Randeep playing the eponymous role.

On being asked how he is taking his directorial debut after acting, Randeep told Outlook, “It’s too early to talk about it, but I have newfound respect for all my directors. And I have gone from being a ‘jamai’ (son-in-law) to ‘ladki ka baap’ (father of a daughter) in no time.”

Well, we cannot wait to see Randeep donning multiple hats in the project.

Coming to his acting, Randeep has received tremendous response for his power packed performance in ‘CAT’, topped with its storyline, Punjab concept, background and characterization. 

Talking about how they’ve tried to showcase the ‘real’ Punjab in ‘CAT’, Randeep said, “The mainstream looked at Punjab with the protagonist standing with his arms wide open in a sarso ka khet, which gave it its romantic image. But the reality of that khet is tilled with the sweat and blood of the farmer, who starts from planting the seeds and prays for it to grow well. That’s the difference we have tried to bring along. We talk about the reality of Punjab, and the other is still a fantasy. That’s the shift that has happened and will continue.”

On being asked how content has undergone a change in Bollywood with the audiences’ taste evolving, Randeep maintained, “I do not believe that films are a source of education or that much of an influence. Society influences art much more than art influences society. Otherwise, after watching Ramandand Sagar’s Ramayan, everyone would have turned into Ram.”

“Because of the pandemic, the audience connected to another sort of audio-visual medium, which was closer to reality. That has also changed people’s appetite for reality cinema, despite the fact that I don’t find anything wrong with fantasy cinema. There are different forms of filmmaking and different ways of telling a story,” he added. 

Moving ahead, with his next 'Tera Kya Hoga Lovely', which stars Ileana D'cruz as the female lead, Randeep is set to collaborate again with Balwinder Singh Janjua, who has also worked with the actor on ‘CAT’.