Randeep Hooda lost 26 kgs to portray the role of Veer Savarkar in the cellular jail in the latter's biopic, 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar'. Here's all you need to know about his physical transformation.
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is one of the few biographical dramas in the history of Indian cinema, which created a lot of controversy even before its release. The critically acclaimed actor, Randeep Hooda portrays the character of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the film. It is also the directorial debut of Randeep Hooda, who donned the director's hat for this movie and is pumped to showcase his acting and direction skills to the audience.
Apart from Randeep Hooda, a series of renowned actors are playing roles of major freedom fighters and figures in the biographical drama, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Ankita Lokhande plays Veer Savarkar's first wife, Yamuna Bai, Mark Bennington plays Reginald Craddock, and Rajesh Khera depicts Mahatma Gandhi in the film. With a stellar lineup of recognised actors, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar has all the elements of a successful film.
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On March 18, 2024, Randeep Hooda took to his Instagram handle and posted a mirror selfie with the caption 'Kaala Paani'. The picture broke the internet and went viral on social media in no time. The reason behind it was Randeep Hooda's exceptional physical transformation, as he shredded 26 kilograms for playing a part in which Veer Savarkar was in Kaala Paani.
As soon as the picture started making a buzz on the internet, several people started spreading a lot of speculations. Some netizens started speculating that Randeep Hooda was on a strict diet and was allowed to have only milk.
Not only this but there were also some users, who speculated that the actor was on a four-month diet of just milk and dates to achieve this look. However, in a conversation with Aaj Tak, Randeep revealed everything about his diet and busted all the myths and misconceptions about his physical transformation. Opening up about the same, he said:
"I am afraid that people may not start copying after reading such news. I want to clarify that I was not on a diet of milk and dates. This is very dangerous, it can spoil your health. Do not follow this at all."
Further in the same interview, Randeep Hooda revealed that his sister, Dr Anjali Hooda is an internal medicine specialist by profession, and they worked together to achieve these results. The actor stated that his sister created a paleo diet for him, and he had eggs, nuts, dates, and even dark chocolates at different stages of his physical transformation.
Apart from this, Randeep Hooda also did intermittent fasting and took some vitamin supplements too as he was losing 6 to 7 kgs in a span of five days. Opening up about the same, he said:
"During this time I followed paleo diet, intermittent fasting, and vitamin supplements. I had to lose 6 to 7 kgs in five days. I have gone through all these processes. That too under the supervision of experts. The wrong news that was spread, that dates and milk reduce weight, is very unhealthy. I didn't only eat dates, I used to eat things like eggs, chile, nuts, and dark chocolate at different stages. Meanwhile, I had also fixed cheat dates for myself."
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This isn't the first time when we have seen people comparing Randeep Hooda to Hollywood actor, Christian Bale, who is famous for doing extreme physical transformations in order to get into the skin of his characters.
Randeep shocked audiences and his fans back in 2016, when he lost 20 kgs for the film, Sarbjit and in the same year, he went from 77 kgs to 94 kgs for his film, Do Lafzon Ki Kahani. Thus, it's fair to say that Randeep Hooda is one of the most hardworking and versatile actors in Bollywood.
From playing a romantic character in Love Aaj Kal 2 to getting into the skin of a troubled truck driver in Highway, Randeep has a long list of complex roles in his filmography. The actor made his acting debut in Hindi cinema back in 2001 with the film, Monsoon Wedding and has since been a part of many art and commercial films. In a span of more than two decades, Randeep has proved the mettle of his acting chops, and with Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, he is once again challenging his limits.
Since the release of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar's official trailer on March 4, 2024, Randeep Hooda has been actively promoting the film. From doing interviews to visiting the memorials of several freedom fighters, he has been promoting the film on all fronts. In an interview with Gulf News, Randeep opened up about the prospect of playing Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the biographical drama.
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During the interview, Randeep Hooda was asked what was the process he followed to get into the skin of his character, as he looks absolutely breathtaking as Veer Savarkar in the trailer. Revealing the way he prepared himself to play Veer Savarkar on the big screen, Randeep admitted that he had read a lot of books about the famous revolutionary and his armed revolution. Elaborating on the same, he said:
"It's exhausting, but I don't get tired because I love what I do. All this effort that I put in comes from the love of what I do. My curiosity of putting myself in another person's shoes mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually is fulfilling. It's an exercise of torture that I willingly put myself into. I don't want it any other way."
The actor also added that while researching Veer Savarkar and Mahatma Gandhi's history, he developed a newfound respect for Gandhi for being the leader he was. Randeep Hooda also shared that once he decided to take on the direction, he got very much involved in the story, which eventually helped him get more into his character. It will be interesting to see how things are going to unfold for Randeep Hooda and his film, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, at the box office. The film will be released in theatres on March 22, 2024.
It's incredible how Randeep Hooda has invested himself in his character. We hope he gets the due for his sheer determination because, as we all know, it is rare to see an actor this passionate about their craft in India. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know.
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