In a throwback conversation with this writer, Randeep had said, “When I first played a role in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding, I didn’t know anything about acting. It was a shot in the dark. I suspected I was a good actor, though I didn’t know it during Monsoon Wedding. Now I realise the more I learn, the less I know about acting, and life.”
The five-year wait between Monsoon Wedding and ‘D’ was agonising. “But these five years also gave me a chance to better myself. I was working with Naseer in the theatre, done three Urdu plays in four years. I taught at the FTII and I also learnt to play the flute, though you won’t see me playing it in any of my movies. I prefer guns. It’s also an instrument and it can make beautiful sound, at times.”
At that point of time, Randeep was keen to carve his own niche. “I just aspire to be Randeep Hooda. In fact, I’d love to do what Mohit is doing in his launch film, James. I’d love to kick ass, punch the goons and watch them fly in midair. But my film ‘D’ is about mental violence. It’s more Satya than Mission Impossible. It’s a realistic film. I hope it gives me an image that’s all my own. My students in FTII aspire to model themselves on fantastic actors like Marlon Brando, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. But when I was asked the same question I said I wanted to be the Randeep Hooda kind of actor. Every actor wants to model himself on someone far bigger. But then you need to grow out of it. For me the process of acting began long back. I used to do plays in school. Today, the platform has changed. My attitude hasn’t.”
Randeep met Ramu through one of his assistants. “I was supposed to do Ramu’s Ab Tak Chhappan. He took one look at me and asked me to come back with pictures. He told me to forget about Chhappan and that he wanted to launch me in Ek as the main antagonist and give me a larger-than-life image. That film never got made. In hindsight, I’m glad it didn’t. I’m better equipped to handle the complexities of the role now.”
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