Randeep Hooda says Hollywood actors are ‘not worshipped like Indian stars’

Randeep Hooda is one of the finest actors of our times. While not all would agree, it’s fair to say he is one of the underrated actors that we have. Despite his powerful main leads in films like Sarbjit, Highway, and Swatantra Veer Savarkar, it always feels like there’s more he could do and more that the audience would love to witness. Nevertheless, he continues to turn everything he touches to gold with his sincere and realistic portrayals. 

He sat down for an exclusive chat on Mid-day`s Sit With Hitlist, where he touched down on how he has often been known as a ‘co-star’ more than Randeep Hooda. Talking about the same, he shares how Indian co-stars like Salman Khan and Sunny Deol carry a certain persona. However, it isn’t the same across the borders.

Randeep Hooda about working in Hollywood

Randeep opened up about working on Hollywood projects with stalwarts like Chris Hemsworth and John Cena and how things are different there. He shares, “I worked with a Chris Hemsworth or John Cena or somebody. They have a different approach. The difference is that they all come and rehearse for weeks and weeks before they do it (action sequences).”

Further sharing his experience, he says, “Me and Chris were rehearsing for six weeks before we did (action). And it looks real. That happens with rehearsals like in a theatre. That`s the way they do it, and they`re not as worshipped as our Indian action stars are. That`s what probably somewhere keeps it more real in that sense.”

133. extraction (2020)
running time: 1h 56m
genre: action, thriller
director: sam hargrave
starring: chris hemsworth, rudhraksh jaiswal, golshifteh farahani, randeep hooda pic.twitter.com/LOA9iRydnc

— val (@ybdlv) June 29, 2023

He further shared that when he went on sets there everyone thought he was an action star, but he jokes he had not actually punched anyone in a film. He reveals, “When I went for Extraction, I had this kind of an action image with everybody around me. Then I realised I`ve never punched anybody in a movie. So for 19 years, I had this tough guy image in various roles, but I`d never punched anybody in a movie.”

He added, “I had to learn how to take a punch, how to give a punch. It`s much like dance. That`s how they prepare for it. I mean you something think you`ve been done a lot and then sometimes you wake up in the morning and it`s like ‘sh*t I`ve not done anything in my life.’”

Randeep Hooda’s Hollywood projects

Randeep Hooda appeared in the 2020 Hollywood film Extraction alongside Chris Hemsworth. He played the role of Saju Rav, a former lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army`s Para Special Forces.

Saju, A symbol of Duty over Self!#4YearsOfExtraction #Saju #Extraction pic.twitter.com/DygzwdlnCC

— Randeep Hooda (@RandeepHooda) April 24, 2024

Next, he is expected to share screen with John Cena in an upcoming Apple Original Films action thriller titled Matchbox, helmed by Extraction director Sam Hargrave. The film is currently on the floors and is scheduled for a 2026 release.

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