Mahesh Manjrekar reveals why he walked out of Randeep Hooda's Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

Randeep Hooda starrer Swatantrya Veer Savarkar has run into its fair share of controversy even before the release. In an interview, Mahesh Manjrekar revealed that he was supposed to direct the movie initially, he even shared the reason for backing out of the film. 

3 things you need to know 

• Randeep Hooda headlines the upcoming film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. 
• He has also stepped in as the director of the film. 
• The actor is currently in a legal tussle with the film’s producer over IP rights. 

Mahesh Manjrekar says he walked out of Veer Savarkar because of Randeep Hooda

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Mahesh Manjrekar revealed that he was supposed to helm Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, but he backed down after constant interference from the lead actor Randeep Hooda. He claimed that Randeep wanted the filmmaker to add Hilter, The King of England and Prime Minister of England which he did not think was relevant to the biopic. He also added, “He then started telling him that I can shoot in a particular way and then put the dissolve transition. I was like, ‘Now he’s telling me how to make films.” 

(Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a biopic on Veer Savarkar | Image: Twitter)

Mahesh emphasised that the problem intensified when Randeep started giving his opinion on every scene of the film. He added that he met with the producers and pronounced that he could not continue working in this manner. Recalling the conversation he mentioned “I told them ‘This film won’t be made if we both are a part of it. So, it’s either me or him in the film’. Maybe now they are realizing that they made a wrong decision.” 

Mahesh Manjrekar mentions being amazed by Randeep Hooda’s research 

(Randeep Hooda will play the role of Veer Savakar| Image: Twitter)

Having talked about their creative difference, the filmmaker also noted that he was initially impressed with the actor’s knowledge of the subject of the film. He recalled that in their first meeting, he found Randeep to be ‘sincere’ and ‘involved with the subject’. He recalled, “He read several books related to the freedom struggle, World Wars, etc. I found it quite interesting.” However, he cautioned that the actor had assured him that he will not question anything once the script is locked.