These days, Randeep Hooda finds himself smiling between takes. The actor, who welcomed daughter Nyomica in March with athlete-actor wife Lin Laishram, says fatherhood has brought him a joy he hasn’t felt since his teenage years.

“As a person, I feel a bit weaker in the knees. I want to go home more than ever since I got married because it is another reason to go back to. I often find myself sitting in a corner and smiling to myself thinking of my daughter,” Hooda tells mid-day, his eyes lighting up at the mention of the little one.

As he settles into fatherhood, the actor says every day brings a new lesson. “I am still a new dad. It has been two months, but there is more to discover every day. As my parents say, it is the best achievement of my life,” he grins.

While he is still in the early stages of fatherhood, we wonder whether becoming a parent will influence his creative choices. On that front, Hooda is clear that nothing has changed.

“I have never made choices that will embarrass me later in front of my kids or anybody else’s kids. So, that is not going to change,” assures the actor, who will next be seen in Eetha, alongside Shraddha Kapoor.

The Laxman Utekar directorial venture, based on Tamasha artiste Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar, recently wrapped up filming. Refusing to divulge details about the project, Hooda says he could talk about it, but “I don’t know whether it will be in good taste”. He prefers to wait for the makers’ green signal before discussing the film further. “I don’t want to tom-tom about myself,” he smiles.

Before the pandemic (2020-21), Randeep Hooda began shooting for his first OTT outing with the web series Inspector Avinash. It released in 2023 and garnered critical acclaim for the actor. Now, the actor is set to return as the eponymous cop in the show’s second season, dropping tomorrow. However, the shooting experience for both seasons, he says, was vastly different.

“A lot has changed since then. I did not have a reason or rather an excuse to go home, but now I find excuses to go home as soon as possible,” says Randeep who tied the knot with actor Lin Laishram in 2023 and welcomed daughter Nyomica in March this year.

“Earlier, I used to go for shoots, then bas nikal jaata tha and reach home after months. But now I have a sweet daughter whom I always desire to see. Of course, I am engaged in work, but ek nazar ghar ki taraf bhi rehti hai,” he adds.

Recently, the 49-year-old was also joined on sets by his family, which he calls a blessing. “I’m very happy that Lin is happy and enjoying motherhood. Thankfully, there were no postpartum complications in our case. The first time Lin and Nyomica joined me during a shoot for a film, they got bored quickly, but I really enjoyed myself,” he recalls with a smile.