He’s confident enough to be called cocky by those who see him from the outside. But at heart Randeep Hooda is just a dreamer from a small town who wants to be recognised as a good actor. We quiz him about his second coming in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘D’. “When I first played a role in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding I didn’t know anything about acting. It was a shot in the dark. Actually, ‘D’ is many shots in the dark?considering it’s a gangster film, ha-ha.”

Getting serious, he continues, “Seriously, I suspected I was a good actor, though I didn’t know it during Monsoon Wedding. Now I realise the more I learn the less I know about acting?and life.” The wait between Monsoon Wedding and ‘D’ was agonising. “But these five years also gave me a chance to better myself. I’ve been working with Naseer in the theatre, done three Urdu plays in four years. I taught at the FTII and I also learnt to play the flute, though you won’t see me playing it in any of my movies, unless I get cast in the sequel to Kisna. I prefer guns. It’s also an instrument and it can make beautiful sound, at times.”

Randeep’s mentor Ram Gopal Varma loves to talk about how he discovered Randeep and asked him to make himself a Varma exclusive. Smilingly Randeep retorts, “Well, he says the same things about Mohit Ahlawat, so you can believe what you like. We’re both from Rohtak so the myths are interchangeable?And before you ask, there’s absolutely no sense of competition with Mohit. We’re friends. He’s being prepared more to be the mainstream masala actor whereas I’m more an actor’s actor.” In the Naseer mould? “No! I’ve learnt a lot from him. He’s a lovely man. But Naseer and I are poles apart. I just aspire to be Randeep Hooda. In fact, I’d love to do what Mohit is doing in his launch film, James. I’d love to kick ass, punch the goons and watch them fly in midair. But my film ‘D’ is about mental violence. It’s more Satya than Mission Impossible. It’s a realistic film. I hope it gives me an image that’s all my own. My students in FTII aspire to model themselves on fantastic actors like Marlon Brando, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. But when I was asked the same question I said I wanted to be the Randeep Hooda kind of actor. Every actor wants to model himself on someone far bigger. But then you need to grow out of it. For me the process of acting began long back. I used to do plays in school. Today, the platform has changed. My attitude hasn’t.”

Randeep met Ramu through one of his assistants. “I was supposed to do Ramu’s Ab Tak Chhappan. He took one look at me and asked me to come back with pictures. He told me to forget about Chhappan and that he wanted to launch me in Ek as the main antagonist and give me a larger-than-life image. That film never got made. In hindsight, I’m glad it didn’t. I’m better equipped to handle the complexities of the role now.”

He talks about his role in ‘D’. “I play a guy who chooses the underworld as a profession, and not because his father was murdered or his sister was raped. I’ve been truthful about the portrayal. Done the best I could. But now I could go back and do it differently all over again. Now I’m doing another film Shock directed by G.G. Philips. I’m the shock element in the film.”

We then touch on the most touchy aspect of Randeep’s life. Being called Sushmita Sen’s boyfriend. “It has never bothered me, really. I don’t pay attention to what people call me. What people say doesn’t affect my life. Today I live my life as I did 10 years ago. Hopefully, 10 years from now I’ll be doing the things I want to do. I never had a problem being called a Naseeruddin Shah protege, Ram Gopal Varma product or Sushmita Sen’s friend. I always knew I’d have my own identity.”

But he wouldn’t mind working with Sushmita “provided it’s a good film or role”. Plans for the future? “I’ll take it as it comes. I want to experiment with every genre of cinema. My job as an actor will remain unchanged.” Randeep thinks hard. “I waited so long because I know how important the launch is for a newcomer in our cinema. In this matter I want to play by their rules. Like Ramu I believe audiences can be entertained without going into the rut. My vast demographic experience ? I come from Rohtak and live in Mumbai ? gives me an insight into the workings of all kind of minds. I do believe I’m equipped to be an actor.”

Butterflies in the tummy about ‘D’? “I’m really not nervous. I’ve gone through the process of the acting in theatre. I’ve done my best. What happens now is not in my hands. If you’ve life’s experiences with you nothing can stop you from being a competent actor.”

Subhash K. Jha