Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) [India], May 28 (ANI): Actor 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. Hooda left no stone unturned to get the perfect look for playing different characters.
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 with ANI, he said, “As an actor you are lost in yourself and you have to do only that much work. But as a director, you have to take care of everything. The camera, the writing, the props, everything. So you’re always interacting and busy. When you’re hungry and starving, you get irritated. So that happened a lot with me in this film.”
“To mai dubara direction bhukhe pet to nahi karunga,” he said.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on May 28, 1883, in Bhagur.
In 1911, Savarkar was sentenced to 50 years in the cellular jail of Andamans, also known as Kala Pani for revolting against the Morley-Minto reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909). 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 conception of this entire film to the success of the film. 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 commitment 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 amount 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. (ANI)
