Randeep Hooda: Working in 'Sarbjit' was emotionally draining

Last month, actor Randeep Hooda had to be rushed to the hospital while shooting for 'Sultan' in Delhi for an emergency appendicitis surgery. We met him at a city hotel two days before this medical emergency. With no signs of discomfort on his face, the actor told us he is in a 'very happy state of life' but did hint about his hectic schedule that would lead to the sudden illness. "I have got four films releasing back to back and one is very different from the other and I just hope people see the effort I put in every character. It's a whirlwind period for next four months. I catch some sleep in flights as I am travelling a lot for promotions. It's bit hard on the health, but I am enjoying this phase," said Randeep.

I have subdued my flamboyance and sense of humour
A lot has been spoken about Randeep losing 18 kgs in a month for 'Sarbjit'. Speaking about the transition from Shankar to Sarabjit, Randeep said, "'Sarbjit', like 'Highway', was emotionally draining, while Shankar was a laugh riot. Shankar is a complex and yet a liberating character. Living in Mumbai, you have to subdue your flamboyance and sense of humour, but Shankar took me back to the time when I had little ambition of being an actor. It was hard to play Sarbajit, mentally and psychically. I wouldn't advise anyone to follow my example and try to lose so much weight in such a short period of time."

It's not my job to do the marketing as well
But Randeep's critically acclaimed films have not managed to set the box office cash registers ringing till now. The actor said, "If people have liked me in the film, and my portrayals have been appreciated by critics, then it's not my job to do the marketing as well. How much money, filmmakers put in promotions, is their call. Majority of my films have come and gone and people are not aware of their existence. 'Jism 2', 'Jannat 2' and 'Highway' have been commercial hits. With 'Laal Rang' again, I thought we started a bit late in promotions. We should have started 10-15 days back. There were some issues with the title and that had to be sorted. I suggested them not to release the film so soon, but I have to maintain my loyalty to them."

There is also a sense of innocence and gullibility in HaryanvisShankar is not a stereotypical portrayal of Haryanvi people.Randeep played a Haryanvi jat for the first time in the recently released 'Laal Rang'. Talking about his character, he said, "People in Haryana are not how they have been portrayed in some films. There is also a sense of innocence and gullibility in them beneath their tough looks. Shankar is not a stereotypical portrayal of Haryanvi people. We didn't want that typical character that wore lapelled short kurta, had a moustache and scowl look on his face. People in Haryana have changed- they have become progressive and are in touch with global issues. Shankar is what I was in school and college."
No time for loveWhen we informed him that his co-star in the film Akshay Oberoi told us in an interview that he has a man crush on him, Randeep said, "Had Akshay told me earlier, I wouldn't have spent so much time with him," and broke into a laughter. Apart from the work front, there have been no link-up rumours of late. So, what happened to his love life? "Amidst all this, where do I find the time to take someone out on a dinner and have long conversations with," he asked us instead as he signed off.

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