Randeep Hooda On His Unique Acting Style: 'Why Compete with Hrithik, Tiger, And Shahid? They Can't Do What I Do'

Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda has always been known for working at his own pace and staying true to his craft. Since his debut in 2001 with Monsoon Wedding, the actor has appeared in just 34 films, choosing quality over quantity in his career. Speaking at the India Today Mind Rocks 2024 Youth Summit in Bengaluru, Randeep shared his approach to selecting roles, stating that he has been “fortunate enough to choose films at the sacrifice of not doing enough.”

Discussing his selective film choices, Randeep explained, “I have always wanted to not just do frothy films. In India and everywhere, we are looking at entertainment, where we are not required to apply our minds too much.”

Reflecting on his career, he added, “But, I’ve been fortunate enough to choose films at the sacrifice of not doing enough – out of 24 years of my experience as a professional actor, I’ve not been on the sets for 11 years. So, either I am waiting for something meaningful to come across or I am preparing for something.”

When asked by the host to do a dance on stage, Randeep declined, instead explaining why he gravitates toward “transformational acting.” He said, “This is the reason why I prefer to do transformational acting, or method acting, where you are preparing yourself to know the truth of a character. For example, I have played many cop roles, but I have not played a cardboard cop wearing a uniform. They are human beings who happen to be cops. That’s where you create a difference.”

He humorously added, “Because I was not good at dancing, I chose to be good at this. So, why compete with Hrithik, Shahid, and Tiger because they dance so well? They can’t do what I do. Find your USP.”

Hooda’s filmography includes critically acclaimed works like Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Sarbjit, Highway, Kick, and Sultan. His most recent work, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, where he portrayed Indian political activist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was praised for his performance, and Hooda himself directed and co-produced the project.

Released on March 22, Swatantra Veer Savarkar starred Randeep Hooda, Ankita Lokhande, Amit Sial, Apinderdeep Singh and Mark Bennington among others. The film was based on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his contribution during the Indian Independence struggle. It earned over Rs 30 crore at the Indian box office.

On the professional front, Randeep Hooda recently announced his involvement in Sunny Deol’s upcoming project.