Akshay Kumar’s 2019 film Kesari became a huge hit, liked by critics and audiences alike. However, for Randeep Hooda, the release of the film brought along a battle with depression. Randeep was all set to essay the role of Ishar Singh in the film Battle of Saragarhi, helmed by Rajkumar Santoshi. However, after three years of intensely working on the film, it was shelved within 20 days of filming due to Kesari’s success, since both films were based on the same subject.
In a recent interview with Humans Of Bombay, Randeep said that he felt his life was chopped in half, especially after he had prepared extensively for that role, “Going through movies like Battle of Saragarhi where I had grown a full Sikh beard for 3 years, prepped for it and that movie didn’t get completed. That was a very low time for me and I was very depressed. It was like life chopped in half, I almost left Extraction for it.”
He continued, “I had once gone to Golden Temple. I had pledged there that I would not cut my hair until the film (Batlle of Saragarhi) came to its conclusion, and when it did, I did and moved on. After that, it was a struggle because for three years I had no work. I had put on weight, it all looked bizarre and I didn’t know what to do. Then I got out of it, my parents were really worried. Then I went and did Extraction, but I was half there and dealing with this whole downer.”
In an earlier interview with Mumbai Mirror, Randeep Hooda revealed that he hadn’t seen Kesari and the film didn’t excite him much. Speaking about Battle of Saragarhi, Randeep had mentioned in the interview that he went through intense training to play a Sikh soldier as accurately as he could. This not only involved learning different forms of martial arts but also learning about Sikhism and its traditions.
Randeep had mentioned that while getting into character to play Ishar Singh, he learnt about the values of Sikhism which helped him become a better person.
Randeep Hooda’s Swatantrya Veer Savarkar released in cinemas on March 22 and it has recorded a good opening. The film also stars Ankita Lokhande in a key role. It is based on the events that took place in freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s life. The film also marked Randeep Hooda’s directorial debut. According to a report in Sacknilk, the film has minted over Rs 2.25 crore on it’s second day.
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar has opened to mostly positive reviews. News18 gave the film a three-star rating and wrote, “Randeep Hooda has shouldered the film with ease. He proves that his performances in films like Sarabjit and Highway were not just flukes. Randeep gets under the skin and bones of the freedom fighter. You are spellbound with the conviction of his performance.”
“While Randeep was a treat for the eyes as an actor, he needs to polish his directorial skills. In an attempt to pack everything about the freedom fighter’s life, Randeep loses track in the second half of the film. As a result, several scenes were high on dialogues and performance but lacked depth,” the review added.
