Randeep Hooda on playing Veer Savarkar in Mahesh Manjrekar directorial: Hope I can live up to the challenge of filling such big shoes

It was reported earlier that Randeep Hooda had been cast in SwatantraVeer Savarkar as Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The actor's first glimpse from the biography has been released two months later, in honour of the freedom fighter's 139th birth anniversary. Hooda bears an uncanny likeness to the national hero, sporting a bushy moustache, round glasses, and the characteristic cap.

However, dressing for the role is merely the first step. Hooda is well aware that the road ahead will be difficult as he works with director Mahesh Manjrekar to highlight the hero's contribution to India's fight for independence. The actor told Mid Day that this was a salute to one of India's greatest unsung heroes in the war for independence. He hopes that he is equal to the task of filling such large shoes and reveals his true narrative, which has been swept under the rug for so long.

The Anand Pandit-backed film, which is set to begin shooting in August, will focus on Savarkar's early involvement with the revolutionary organisation India House in the United Kingdom, his imprisonment at the Cellular Jail, and his later years when he fought for social unity. 

Manjrekar believes he has found a leading guy in Hooda who is dedicated to doing the job justice. The filmmaker-actor said that Hooda was 20 kg heavier than they had anticipated. Because the actor was well-built and Savarkar was slim, Manjrekar was apprehensive about the casting. Hooda, on the other hand, shocked the makers by shedding 10 kg in a month. Now, Hooda wants to lose another 10 kg.

The filmmaker is similarly taken aback by the actor's in-depth research into the revolutionary's life. While Manjrekar concedes that his leading man's knowledge of the subject is vast, he adds that he spent over a year with the research team to ensure historical truth in the film. 

Producer Ssandeep Singh also shared that it's unusual for an actor to be better read than the writing staff. It's great to collaborate with an actor who understands what one is going for. They have read a lot and found a lot of references, but Hooda has read a lot more than they have. Savarkar is the most misunderstood hero, and it is high time one understood him.