Not the right time to jump into politics, and leave my movie career: Randeep Hooda

Mumbai: Randeep Hooda says he hasn't ruled out joining politics in future but wants to focus on his acting career for the time being.

There were reports that the actor, who is awaiting the release of “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar', a biopic of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, is likely to contest Lok Sabha polls as a BJP candidate from his hometown Rohtak, Haryana.

'Politics is as serious a career as a movie maker or an actor. I’ve been more than sincere and full-hearted about my acting. If I am to join politics, I’ll take it on as a full-time job. I’m not a person who can do many things at the same time. Right now, I’ve movies to do as an actor and there’s my new found career as a director, which I enjoyed although it was very tough' the actor told PTI.

'It's not the right time to jump into it (politics) and leave my movie career because being half-hearted has never excited me. I like doing 'seva' as a Khalsa aid or cleaning beaches or working for other environmental causes. I've always had that in me, but you never know about the future,” Hooda, known for movies such as “Highway”, “Sarbjit” and “Sultan”, added.

'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar” was initially to be helmed by Mahesh Manjrekar, who quit the project citing creative differences. The film is now directed, co-written and co-produced by Hooda, who also plays the titular role. Hooda, who was first cast as an actor for the film, said as the “circumstances were beyond control”, he began co-writing the script with writer Utkarsh Naithani and later came on board as a director.

"When I was cast as an actor, I had people telling me not to do it, saying, 'You're an artist, and you will get branded, be known as a party member, you should be neutral". I was like, "What if I was making a film on Mr Jawaharlal Nehru? Would I become a Congress member? No. So, I found a lot of bias there," the actor said.

Hooda said through the film he will bring out some unknown facets of Savarkar in an engaging and entertaining way.

'I'm going to entertain and give you the knowledge. So, I did not make it like a preachy film, preaching about 'desh bhakti'. I've made a film which is engaging and I tell facts with dates, and break the myth when it comes to calling him a British apologist or Muslim hater or a person who is involved in Mahatma Gandhi's death, we’ve addressed them in the movie,' he added.

The actor recalled reading negative comments after the trailer of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was unveiled.

'It does not irk me but this conversation will help people to get to know more about him, because then I hope some of them read up or come watch this movie.

If I had made a movie about Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, would that be a propaganda movie? ‘No’. So, there is a bias towards it. All our freedom fighters were part of political parties...'

Ask Hooda if he will continue to direct, produce, and act in films, he said he will focus on his acting career for a while. His next release is “Tera Kya Hoga Lovely”, in which he is paired opposite Ilena D’Cruz.

Produced by Zee Studios, Anand Pandit, Sandeep Singh, Randeep Hooda, and Yogesh Rahar, SwatantryaVeer Savarkar is set to hit cinemas worldwide on March 22. The film will be released in Hindi and Marathi.