As he essays all-black antagonist to Salman Khan’s cop in Radhe, Randeep Hooda discusses picking unusual parts to avoid being typecast
Randeep Hooda plays a drug kingpin in the Prabhudheva-directed actioner
You need an ominous villain to offset the larger-than-life heroics of Salman Khan. Enter Randeep Hooda as the drug kingpin to Khan’s cop in Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai. The actor, who relishes playing dark characters, says his part in the Prabhudheva-directed venture stood out for its moral bankruptcy. “I have played many negative characters with moral ambiguity. However, in Radhe, this guy is black inside out,” begins Hooda. “It’s liberating to play negative roles. I have turned down films where the character is [similar to] me. It’s exciting to be other people, and cinema gives you the means to do things that you won’t do in real life.”
The actioner, which simultaneously releases in theatres and on ZeePlex today, marks his third collaboration with Khan after Kick (2014) and Sultan (2016). “It’s fun to work with Salman because he is easy-going. We share an off-screen camaraderie that makes it easier in front of the camera.”
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Salman Khan in the film
Over the years, Hooda has built an eclectic repertoire, where an offbeat Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011) features alongside a massy Radhe. Assessing his career moves, the actor reflects, “I have been against typecasting. Many people believe that you should do a certain kind of [films] and make it [your domain], but I don’t share the idea. I have done few films compared to [my peers]. Filmmakers continue to find me interesting because I mix and match my movies, and thankfully, I don’t have to repeat myself.” Point out that he had gone missing from the screen for a few years after 2016 — a move that is considered hara-kiri in the industry — and he says, “I did not take on too much work out of choice. It wasn’t that I was out of work. I grew my beard and hair for three years to [play] a Sikh character for a film that got shelved. I believe you have to [cut] off from work to [rediscover] yourself. In showbiz, people say, ‘Jo dikhta hai, wohi bikta hai’. But I know many [artistes] who have gone off work for years and returned with interesting roles.”
Also Read: Randeep Hooda on Radhe: Fight in washroom was imagined on the spot
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