Actor Randeep Hooda won the Best Debut Film of a Director for the 2024 film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar at the 72nd National Film Awards announced in New Delhi on Saturday. Both surprised and elated by the news the actor said, “It is a moment I am still trying to process.”
Speaking about the effort it took to make the film, Randeep said, “This film asked more of me than anything I have ever done. The journey of this film was filled with challenges at every juncture, but I am glad we saw it through and overcame each of those. And despite that, somehow we kept finding the strength to move forward.”
“As an actor, co-writer and first-time director, I gave this film everything I had because I felt an immense responsibility towards telling Veer Savarkar’s story with sincerity and honesty. Whatever we endured while making this film is insignificant compared to the life he lived and the sacrifices he made. I am deeply grateful to my entire team for believing in this dream and standing by it through every high and low. This recognition belongs to all of us, and I hope it inspires more people, especially the younger generation, to discover and reflect on Veer Savarkar’s legacy,” he added.
Directed by Randeep, the film is a biopic of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The film also features Ankita Lokhande as Savarkar’s ex-wife Yamunabai and Amit Sial as VD Savarkar’s brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar.
Our review of the film read: “For Hooda, chest-thumping is more important than heart-touching. His scenes create more of a spectacle than any lasting emotional resonance. Some scenes even end up providing unintentional humour. The director also masks certain pivotal points in Savarkar’s life including his mercy petition, which is mentioned in the film but the portrayal makes even the overtly merciful words sound heroic.”