Randeep Hooda wants to direct an action film

Mumbai | Acting is his first love, but he wants to play "a bit of a God" again as a director, says Randeep Hooda, who is currently developing the script of an action film.

Hooda turned director with 2024's “Swatantra Veer Savarkar”, a biopic on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar in which he played the title role. He also served as a writer and producer on the film.

When you’re a writer or director, you are not a puppet in someone else's hands, he said.

“The more I stay away from it, the more attractive it is. But I want to do it (direct more films). I discovered a flair for it while doing it. You feel you are in control because films are the director’s medium; somebody else puts the music, or makes your expressions better or pushes the scene...

“After my directorial debut, I have a newfound respect for all my directors, who work endlessly making a movie. Acting is my first love, but I want to feel like a bit of a God again. I’ve got an action movie, which I’m writing. I’m seeing how I can interpret and redefine action in my way; maybe it will work, it won’t, but it will be something which I’ll try and make,” Hooda told PTI in an interview.

The actor, known for diverse roles across films such as “Monsoon Wedding”, “Highway”, “Sultan”, “Sarbjit”, and “Extraction”, said choosing to play varied characters has been a deliberate move.

“My image is versatility. I'm one of the few lucky ones whom the industry has not been able to put in a box. There was a time after ‘D’ and ‘Risk’ that that question arose in front of me, and I consciously chose the path of being interesting rather than doing the same type of roles,” the 48-year-old said.

Hooda has stepped into the role of the villain for the Sunny Deol-starrer “Jaat”, billed as a high-octane drama. It is directed by Gopichand Malineni, known for Telugu films such as “Don Seenu”, “Bodyguard”, and “Veera Simha Reddy”.

Citing the examples of "Extraction" with Chris Hemsworth, upcoming "Matchbox" with John Cena, and "Jaat" with Deol, the actor said starring in films from mainstream cinema has multifold benefits.

“In commercial cinema (too), I look for a story and the character that I’m playing, who is producing it and the platform given to it. Besides, it depends on the genre. 

“For instance, I’ve got to do action again. Like, in my three action films, I’ve had Chris Hemsworth, John Cena, and now Sunny Deol. To be part of that movie, it gives you wings, eyeballs, and in that, if you can shine, then it’s good for your career.”

When asked how he felt about playing the antagonist to action icon Deol, Hooda quipped: “Kamar kas lo bhai (Pull up your socks)”

“When I was doing action scenes with him, I was standing a bit away and punching him, thinking, ‘It should not hit him’, and he was like, ‘Come on, hit me right there’. So, there’s some consciousness, but it's fun also. If you’re going to play a baddie against someone, it might as well be Sunny Deol,” he said.

Vineet Kumar Singh, Saiyami Kher and Regina Cassandra also round out the cast of “Jaat”.

Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and People Media Factory, the film was released on April 10 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages and earned over Rs 32 crore at the box office in its first weekend.