28 May,2022 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Uma Ramasubramanian
Randeep Hooda; (right) Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
In March, mid-day was the first to report that Randeep Hooda had been signed on to play Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in SwatantraVeer Savarkar (Savarkar is the most misunderstood hero, Mar 23). Two months on, remembering the freedom fighter on his 139th birth anniversary, the makers have shared Hooda's first look from the biopic. Sporting a bushy moustache, round glasses and the signature cap, the actor bears a striking resemblance to the national hero.
Looking the part, however, is only the first step. Hooda knows it will be a tough road ahead as he teams up with director Mahesh Manjrekar to shine a spotlight on the hero's contribution towards India's fight for freedom. "This is a salute to one of the tallest unsung heroes of India's freedom struggle. I hope I can live up to the challenge of filling such big shoes, and tell his real story that had been brushed under the carpet for so long," says the actor.
Slated to go on floors in August, the Anand Pandit-backed film will revisit Savarkar's early association with the revolutionary group India House in the UK, his imprisonment at the Cellular Jail and the later years when he advocated social unity. Manjrekar says that in Hooda, he has found a leading man who is deeply committed to doing justice to the role. "Randeep was 20 kilos heavier than how we had visualised him. I was skeptical [about the casting] since he was well-built, and Savarkar was lean. But Randeep surprised us by losing 10 kilos within a month. He intends to drop another 10 kilos," says the director.
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He is equally impressed by the actor's deep-dive into the revolutionary's life. While Manjrekar has spent over a year with the research team to ensure historical accuracy in the film, he admits that his leading man's knowledge on the subject is vast. "It's rare that an actor is more well-read than the writing team. It's nice to be working with an actor who is on the same page. We have read extensively and found necessary references, but he has read far more than us." Producer Sandeep Singh adds, "Savarkar is the most misunderstood hero, and it is high time we understood him."
