“Savarkar put the country before religion,” says Randeep Hooda, who not only plays the title role in the famous Freedom Fighter’s biopic, but also makes his debut as a director in the film.Speaking at the trailer launch of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar recently, Hooda said in India, there is a tendency to put down our own icons, and that led him to take up the biopic of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.Pointing out that there have been biopics of Gandhiji and other leaders of the Freedom Movement, and that he himself had done biopics like Rang Rasiya (on Raja Ravi Varma), Main Aur Charles (on Charles Sobhraj) and Sarbjit (on Sarabjit Singh). Hooda said he felt Savarkar was very relevant today. “He looked at India as a cultural unit, as a civilization. He called it ‘Akhand Bharath.’ Savarkar’s philosophy was, ‘Yeh desh dharam se uper hota hai…Sindu Nadi se Sindu Sagar tak Jo bhi yahan rehte hai, woh purbajon ki matrbhumi par rehta hai. Aur jo than ke khan khanpan aur rasmon ko mante hai woh Hindu hai, chahe woh kisi bhi samaj ke kyun na ho. (Loosely translated: This country is above religion. All those living here, from the River Sindhu to the Indian Ocean, can call it their Motherland. Those who follow the customs and rituals of the land are Hindus,regardless of the society to which they belong.) I think his idea of unifying India as a society as a country was most important,” shared the actor.Hooda said, “I feel he [Savarkar] was a true patriot, but his patriotism was called in question. His contribution should not be taken negatively. It’s a pity that his story hasn’t reached a wider audience.”The first term that comes to mind on hearing his name is ‘Mafiveer’ (apologist), noted the debutant director, but stressed that Savarkar wasn’t a coward, he wasn’t a ‘Mafiveer’ at all. Sharing that the film extensively explains about the mercy petition and bail plea drafted bythe Freedom Fighter who was incarcerated in the infamous Kalapaani jail, he added, “And when you address the Court, you have to do so respectfully.”In terms his physical transformation for the role, Hooda said, “It’s hard to play real characters on screen.I don’t look like him (Savarkar) and the toughest partwas to match his voice. You have to sound like the real character too.”The actor shared, “I went to great lengths to be authentic, living in Kalapaani, starving, and losing weight for the role. It’s been a life-changing experience.” Reflecting on Savarkar, he added, “I’ve learned that circumstances shape individuals. Savarkar believed in ‘by any means necessary’.”Asked about his preference between directing and producing, Hooda replied, “Producing is my least favourite role. Filmmaking is a team effort. I delvedinto books on Savarkar, collaborated with writers,and directed with the goal of reaching a younger audience. I hope viewers will embrace it.”
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