“Dubara direction bhukhe pet toh nahi karunga”: Randeep Hood shares on the release of ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ on ZEE5
Randeep Hooda continues to stun audiences with his dedication to challenging roles. In his latest film, ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar,’ now streaming on ZEE5, Hooda underwent a dramatic transformation, losing nearly 32 kg to portray the revolutionary leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Balancing his roles as actor and director, he faced the tough challenge of managing long hours and hunger. Hooda remarked, “As an actor, you focus on yourself, but as a director, you handle everything. When you’re hungry, you get irritated. So that happened a lot.” Hooda marked Savarkar’s 141st birth anniversary by visiting the Andaman Cellular Jail, reflecting on the historical figure’s struggles. Despite injuries on set, he remained dedicated. His wife, Lin Laishram, praised his discipline and hard work, noting his impeccable performance as both actor and director. ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ highlights Hooda’s commitment to authenticity, portraying one of India’s most influential freedom fighters.
Randeep Hooda has often stunned the audience with his acting skills. He has never hesitated to take up unconventional and challenging roles and has always given his best. Be it Omung Kumar’s ‘Sarbjit’ or his latest film ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’, which is now out on ZEE5.
The ace actor underwent a drastic physical transformation and lost almost 32kg to look like revolutionary leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, also referred to as Veer Savarkar.
It was tough for him to starve and act but more challenging as a director to stay hungry for long hours and manage everything.
In a conversation, he said, “As an actor you are lost in yourself, and you have to do only that much work. After several mercy petitions that he would not participate in politics, he was released in 1924. To mark the 141st birth anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Hooda visited the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where Savarkar was sentenced to life terms of imprisonment totaling fifty years. Playing a historical figure on-screen comes with various challenges. For Hooda it was same, and he got injured as well on the sets of the film.
As he mentioned, “We all got injured and we were hurt several times by the hunter. Many of my co-stars got hurt on the sets of the film. But I was occupied with my work all the time.” No doubt, the ‘Highway’ actor gave his best to perform well in the movie. His wife Lin Laishram also appreciated her husband’s hard work and dedication to bring perfection in acting as well as direction and production. Lin added, “I’ve seen him go through everything from the concention of this entire film to sustain
So, I am overwhelmed today to see. I can’t even walk in. I couldn’t walk in the one where they didn’t have the light because I have claustrophobia. And I don’t know how Savarkarji did this.”
Hooda added to the conversation, “He also had claustrophobia. And to live in this with claustrophobia, it makes it even worse.” “I put 22 back on. It’s just will and wanting to do a good job. It’s just a desire to touch the truth,” said the actor, whose committed to his work was clearly visible in the film.
Laishram said while praising him, “I think it’s a lot of dedication that he goes through, a lot of discipline. He was very cut down to a very minimal number of calories the entire time where doctors were on board and all of that. So I don’t know how he does it, but he does it every time. And it’s impeccable how beautifully, the performance, and not just as an actor, but as a director and producer.”
Regarded as one of the most influential freedom fighters, Savarkar was not only a lawyer but also an activist, writer, and politician. He gained prominence for his book “Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?”, among several others authored by him.
‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ is streaming on ZEE5.
