Randeep Hooda: There are bigger problems at hand, so one doesn’t feel much about a film being delayed

His pursuits are not limited to acting in films and shows alone. Randeep Hooda’s love for horses and wildlife photography keeps him just as busy and, at times, away from the crazy rat race in Bollywood. Two decades into the business, and Randeep who has created a niche in the industry, still feels that there’s a lot left to explore. Randeep, who will be seen as the antagonist in Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai headlined by Salman Khan, talks about his second release in the course of the pandemic and more.Excerpts:
In one of your recent social media posts, you gave a shout out to help with oxygen concentrators in the battle against COVID-19. How did you get involved with this work?
During the last wave of the pandemic, I had done whatever I could to help people. Back then, people didn’t have basics, daily amenities, and so many had been laid off from their jobs. This time, the fight is for oxygen. I have been associated with Khalsa Aid for many years now. We decided to tackle the most important and immediate requirement - oxygen concentrators. Some patients can manage with these devices at home for their oxygen requirement. By getting hospitalised, they occupy beds that can be used for critical patients. Concentrators are fewer in number. So, we decided to help out with it. Once a patient reaches out to us, we either home deliver it or have someone from their side pick it up from us. We collect it back once the patient is alright and pass it to the next one who needs it. We’ve got a tremendous response. Today, everyone is trying to help. In fact, I was also planning to go on the ground and assist, but I was asked to refrain from it to avoid chaos. So, I am doing whatever I can from home.
Amid this crisis, your film Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai is releasing. It has waited a year to see this day. Did you feel restless and impatient at any point, during this waiting period?
Well, as an artiste, you don’t have much control over the timing of a film’s release. There are bigger problems at hand and people are suffering a lot more than a film not making it to theatres on a preset date. So, one does not feel much about it being delayed. In the past, I have been guilty of preparing for a film for two-three years, and after that, things didn’t move. So, waiting is okay for me. During the last wave of the pandemic, my international project Extraction released and I was happy that we were able to entertain people and take their minds off a gloomy situation temporarily. Around the same time this year, we have Radhe... it doesn’t matter if it’s a year late.
You have worked with Salman Khan before and there seems to be a certain ease when you appear on the screen together. Whether you play the villain, his coach, or someone chasing him — there is an unmissable camaraderie there.
Salman and I have hung out together and we have a friendship that goes back years. We get along well and I really like the guy. There is a camaraderie there which exists off-screen, too. I am very happy with my collaborations with Salman. I was chasing him in Kick, I trained him in Sultan and I am now testing him in Radhe... I think this progression was all planned by him (laughs!). The camaraderie on screen works out well when both the actors concentrate on their parts. Radhe... is an action entertainer and a story of cleaning the city of a drug ring, something that was being talked about last year. I worked with a cool action team from Korea and a team from the South, which, I would agree, is quite a blend. Prabhudeva keeps it simple and it’s not taxing to work with him. It’s a quintessential story about the good and bad guy and how the bad guy is taken down.
At this stage in your career, with 20 years and numerous roles in movies across genres, what do you seek in a prospective film?
There are many reasons I would say yes to a film — it has to primarily offer something new and exciting for me to do. I don’t like repeating myself. Of course, working with friends is an incentive. A scale like that of Extraction is something that also ticks a box. Primarily, I seek a story that should be something worthy of my time. I have worked with over 20 new directors in my career, so that has never been a constraint. At this stage in my career, with a few experiences in the past, the rest of the people attached to a film also matter a lot now. I have had many movies which didn’t get the perception and the release that they deserved.
Digital platforms have opened doors for actors to break new grounds, while the content is assessed purely on its merit. With Extraction, and now, Radhe..., which releases simultaneously on OTT, does the medium hold more appeal for you?
The longer format is interesting indeed, and I am doing a show, too. But the long format shooting is a new thing for me, and I don’t know yet if I am excited. Shooting for one show is like filming three-four films. This is a new territory and no doubt that new things are being explored. But I am not switching to the digital platform entirely. I still have that excitement about watching a film and being collectively infected with people’s energies in a cinema hall. That medium is still something! Over my career of two decades, I have delved into all sorts of roles across genres — villain, hero, satellite character — the work involved is the same in all these. I have to be truthful to the script, and the rest will happen. A lot of content comes my way, and some of it really excites me. I have enough on my plate to keep me busy; in fact, dates sometimes are an issue now. But I have a good blend on my table.
Lastly, in the pandemic, many actors have made their relationships formal and tied the knot. Have you been thinking on those lines?
Well, I am in the process, I guess. That’s all. That’s my answer — we are all progressing in life and let’s see where it takes us.