Ngoc Small Town Boy with Big Dreams
Randeep Hooda was born in a small village called Daseya in the Rohtak district of Haryana. His mother, Asha Hooda, is a BJP politician and his father is a surgeon by profession. He did schooling from Delhi Public School before moving to Australia for higher studies. He is Bachelors in Marketing & Human Resource Management. Despite coming from a humble background and not having any godfather in the industry, Randeep always dreamt of making it big in Bollywood.
Debut with Monsoon Wedding and Waiting for the Big Break
He made his film debut in Monsoon Wedding (2001) where he plays NRI (Non Resident Indian). He got the role in Monsoon Wedding primarily because of his Australian accent rather then his acting skills or good looks. However even after a powerful performance in Monsoon Wedding he had to wait for 4 years to get a second project. During this time, he struggled to find good roles and patience was tested.
Big Break with D and Becoming a Household Name
He finally got lucky and Ramgopal Verma cast him as lead in a gangster flick “D” (2005). “D” was a turning point in his career and he suddenly became a household name across the country. The “D” which supposedly portrays Dawood Ibrahim’s real life gave Randeep Hooda a grand entry into tinsel town.
Playing Impactful Cops and Going Commercial
After D, he played impactful and memorable roles as cops in films like Ekta Kapoor’s Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (2010) and Jannat 2 (2012). In blockbuster films like Kick (2014) and Sultan (2016), he proved he can also excel in commercial masala films alongside superstars like Salman Khan.
Risk Taking with Raw and Bold Roles
In 2013, Randeep took a huge career risk by doing a bold role of homosexual kiss with co-actor in the short film Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh of Bombay Talkies. This was hugely appreciated but very few mainstream actors attempt such taboo topics. Similarly, in biopic Rang Rasiya (2014) he played the role of legendary painter Raja Ravi Verma in Ketan Mehta’s film which was lauded but also courted controversies.
Power-packed Performance in Sarbjit
Randeep Hooda again received glowing reviews for his performance in biopic Sarbjit (2016) as an Indian farmer who spent more than 20 years in Pakistani prisons after being sentenced to death as a spy. His soulful and intense performance in this critically acclaimed film remains one of his best works.
Enduring Icon of Machismo
Till date, despite delivering power-packed performances for over 15 years, Randeep Hooda remains underestimated and underrated by mainstream Bollywood. However, he has undoubtedly emerged as the epitome of machismo with his roles as cops, dons, lovers. He further aims to do more impactful roles and make his strong screen presence felt through diverse performances.
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