Sensuality and controversy have never deterred me from doing films - Randeep Hooda

A chat with Randeep Hooda is often peppered with the dreaded F word. But that's more so because this man speaks his mind unlike other actors who prefer to go the diplomatic way. Fearless, confident and extremely macho, Randeep is Jat as one can get. Currently riding high after the success of Kick where he rubbed shoulders with Salman Khan, Randeep is all excited about his next release, Rang Rasiya which he hopes will educate the Indian masses more about Raja Ravi Verma and his contribution to the art and culture of India. Excerpts from the interview: Professionally, 2014 has treated you well thus far. Don't you think? It has been an interesting year starting with Highway's critical acclaim. A lot of A-listers like Sajid Nadiadwala and Imtiaz Ali were involved in the movie. So a lot of people who are opinion makers saw my film and that was a big plus point. As far critical acclaim is concerned, I have had that before too and I don't strive for it. I am not hungry for critical acclaim. I have had it and I don’t need to prove my acting abilities to others. It's more about how I can better myself with every film. With Kick, I was exposed to a large audience at one go and it has changed my lifestyle all of a sudden. This was something that was missing from my repertoire and I am happy that it came soon enough in one shot with kick. The pendulum in my life is on an upward swing right now and I don't want it to swing the other way. With Rang Rasiya what do you intend to achieve as an actor? With Rang Rasiya, we bring to life one of the biggest icons of our country, Raja Ravi Varma who is unfortunately not known as an icon. Even the media is unaware and I have had to educate media people about a guy who has made such large contribution towards our culture. It is also one of my biggest roles in terms of character. Raja Ravi Varma to me was a real rockstar. Many of his contributions are unknown. He was the first fashion designer of our times. He had made a sari which was not called sari but a piece of cloth that was worn by women in different ways. He was a big nationalist and patriotic at a time when there was no India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. He was also a man of colourful dispositions who had affair with his muses. Did you know much Raja Ravi Varma before the film happened? I didn’t even know his name or anything about his existence. When Ketan (Mehta) gave me the script, I liked it immediately but I ended up asking him, 'Who is this guy?'. So he showed me a few paintings and then I realized that this is the Raja Ravi Varma who is famous for his painting for I remembered having seen a few of his paintings earlier. It opened my eyes to this man's talent. The film's also landed in some controversy over its bold scenes. Where you at any point skeptical about accepting it owing to its bold content? The film is about controversy and you better have some. I was never skeptical about accepting it. If a film is not going to be positioned right, I wouldn't do it. But sensuality and controversy have never deterred me from doing films. Raja Ravi Varma was a Malayali but the accent used is essentially North Indian. Why? We tried the Malayali accent but it sounded like we were poking fun at him. Also, we wanted the movie to reach a larger audience. I think that is what an artist also wants which reach a larger audience and not just perform in the bathroom and get your own Oscar. So language doesn't matter. Also Raja Ravi Varma left home early and lived in Maharashtra, Baroda and other places. So for me, he is a man of Indian heritage and not Malayali heritage. Don't you think it's a boon in disguise that the movie is releasing now because you are a much bankable actor today? This movie would have been much before its time had it come earlier. The disappointment that I faced because of its non-release earlier has been very well compensated now. At that time, I was a newbie actor and Ketan was seen as a certain kind of filmmaker. Together we couldn't created that buzz. But today due to my filmography that has happened over the past many years, I have gained a bit of momentum as a recognizable face. So it will have more chances now than it had then. Audiences have also changed. Sensuality is not at taboo any more. So it is right time. You are going solo at the box-office now after Kick. Does that make you nervous? No it doesn't because Rang Rasiya is not Kick. This movie doesn't have Bhai in it. It doesn't have the Hangover song in it nor are there any high octane action scenes. Also it is not shot in Poland and it doesn't have Jacqueline Fernandes in it. Does that mean in the absence of these elements Rang Rasiya is not commercially viable? No. What it means is it takes away the 240 crore expectation that you may be trying to pin down on my shoulders. This movie's budget is less compared to Kick. Hence recovery doesn't have to be too high to make profits. More importantly, I would be happy if through this film, people learn more the man, Raja Ravi Varma himself.