Itishree Misra (BOMBAY TIMES; November 12, 2019)

The past few years may have been disappointing for actor Randeep Hooda professionally, but a more calm and confident person has emerged from it. The actor has been actively involved in social work and when asked about it, he says, “You have to go out in the world to feed the actor within you. And I feel that when I do something for the greater good, which is not personally or directly connected to me, I feel better about myself because I think there is this sense of contribution.”

He is now armed with several acting projects, including a film with Salman Khan and another with Hollywood hearthrob Chris Hemsworth. The Highway actor, who has just completed Love Aaj Kal 2 with Imtiaz Ali, says he is in a better space than he was when he had said ‘no’ to a lot of projects while prepping for his role of Havildar Ishar Singh for the film Battle Of Saragarhi. The film never got made, and the role was later played by Akshay Kumar in a different film, Kesari.

Talking about it, Randeep tells us, “It is not disappointing, rather it was a life-changing experience. I grew my hair and beard and I did it for my own satisfaction, and to test my own boundaries. Look, everybody wants recognition and the fact people are talking about it is recognition in itself. I know where I lacked and if given a chance, I will try and improve upon those things. So, it wasn’t disappointing that the film never got made, it has added to my personality immensely.”

Ask him if Bollywood has started taking note of him more now, and the actor laughingly says, “To be honest, I’ve really not understood this beast called Bollywood. I’ve been working in different kinds of films with different kinds of people. From an absolute commercial pot-boiler like Kick to a Sarbjit to doing a Bombay Talkies or even a Charles, I’ve worked with all kinds of people and have enjoyed each experience. Many successful and experienced people in the industry have told me that I shouldn’t change my look too often but I did just that. In the last 14-15 years, I’ve loved what I’ve done. If one says that Bollywood has started to notice me... well, it’s high time!”