Randeep Hooda to play Swatantra Veer Savarkar

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21 years after Marathi music legend Sudhir Phadke-produced hard-hitting Hindi biopic on Veer Savarkar (the first-ever crowd-funded movie in India!), Savarkar, it is Randeep Hooda’s turn to play the freedom fighter and visionary in the new film, Swatantra Veer Savarkar. Shailendra Gaur, from theater, had done the title-role then. But thanks to political machinations, the movie could then be released only in Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir and nowhere else.

The announcement of the leading man (the film was decided some months ago) comes in the wake of the release of The Kashmir Files and its unprecedentedly stupendous success.

Producers Anand Pandit’s and Sandeep Ssingh’s movie on the not-so-promoted (!!) hero of India’s freedom movement, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, is expected to go on floors from June 2022 and will be shot across various locations in London, Maharashtra and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This story will be directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Mahesh V. Manjrekar.

Producer Sandeep Ssingh feels, “Considering Veer Savarkar is one of the most controversial characters from Indian history, I could only think of Randeep to play him. (??!!) Veer Savarkar’s contribution cannot be ignored. I wonder why our history books never mentioned Veer Savarkar.”

Sandeep is, of course, off the mark here: Savarkar is mentioned in history books, but justice has never been done to this visionary who fought also for equal rights of Harijans (untouchables), and whose dictum was that all Indians were Indians first and last and their religions were something that they followed only at home!

Producer Anand Pandit from Anand Pandit Motion Pictures says, “Cinema is a creative medium that celebrates different thought-processes. Films like Swatantra Veer Savarkar will help create a far more engaging public dialogue. With Mahesh and Randeep at the helm, I am sure we will create something memorable for audiences.”

Director Mahesh chipped in, “This is the right time to tell the stories which we had ignored. Swatantra Veer Savarkar will be an edgy cinematic narrative that will force us to revisit our history.” The director has been working on this subject for almost a year with his research team.

Randeep feels elated that he has been chosen to play the most influential yet underestimated hero of India’s freedom movement. “There are many heroes that have played their part in getting us our independence. However, not everyone has got their due. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is the most misunderstood, debated and influential of these unsung heroes and his story must be told. I am delighted to collaborate with Sandeep after Sarabjit. It will be yet another challenging role to portray.”

Swatantra Veer Savarkar is co-produced by Roopa Pandit and Jay Pandya.