BIOPIC AND BEYOND
THE WEEK India|April 28, 2024
Randeep Hooda may have proved his acting credentials with biopics, but typecast him at your own peril
POOJA BIRAIA JAISWAL
BIOPIC AND BEYOND

Getting into the skin of his characters comes easy to Randeep Hooda, but convincing his parents to let him do that not so much. They had had enough with his latest Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.

“My parents made me promise that I won't do this again… that they wouldn't stay with me in Mumbai if I did it again,” said Hooda. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, he said, has been the most challenging for him so far—“one that was emotionally, mentally and physically draining to the point that I had to keep popping pills in order to keep exhaustion and anxiety in check”.

With this film, he was more than an actor—he was also the co-writer, a first-time director and co-producer. And, there was mounting pressure to finish the film that seemed to be taking forever—one-and-a-half years to complete a 55-day shooting schedule. His health took a beating, and his morale a dip. Hooda shed more than 30kg to portray Savarkar’s Cellular Jail stint in the Andamans.

The problem was Hooda had to keep switching between this state of “deprivation” (relying only on almond oil and dry fruits) and “revenge eating”, leading to a “near-death experience”. “I will never do this again,” said Hooda. And then, after a pause, he added, cheekily, “But then again, never say never.”

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView all
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024