Randeep Hooda reveals he slipped in depression after Battle of Saragarhi got shelved

Randeep Hooda was elated to portray the character of Havildar Ishar Singh in a movie based on the Battle of Saragarhi. The battle took place back in 1897 between Afghan Orakzai tribesmen and the British Indian Army. The actor prepared for the role but the film never made it to the theatres, following which he slipped into depression. In an interview with Mashable India, the actor shared how he was devastated and shattered when the film never saw the light of day.

3 things you need to know

• Battle of Saragarhi was announced by filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi in 2016.
• Randeep Hooda was going to play the lead role of Havildar Ishar Singh.
• The actor recently shared that he was in depression when his film got shelved.

Randeep Hoda says his parents did not leave him alone 

During the interview, Randeep Hooda shared how he felt cheated when the Battle of Saragarhi helmed by Rajkumar Santoshi got shelved. The actor revealed that he worked hard for the role and lived with the character of Ishar Singh for almost three years. He even rejected films as he needed to grow his hair and beard for the Battle of Saragarhi. 

(Randeep Hooda opens up about how he dealt with depression | Image: Instagram)

Talking about the years he gave to Rajkumar's film, he said, "There were many situations in life when I thought there is nothing but darkness. I went through a big stage of depression. In fact, I did Extraction in that stage of life when I was down and out. I even thought of leaving Extraction for Saragarhi and even left films for three years for Saragarhi." The actor further added, "I was quite affected by it. My parents won’t leave me alone. To escape from them, I would bolt my room, fearing that someone would cut my beard. Then I decided I won’t let this happen to me ever again." 

Akshay Kumar doing the same role as Randeep Hooda

Battle Of Saragarhi was announced in 2016, but the movie never got released. However, in 2019, Akshay Kumar starrer Kesari hit the big screens which was based on the same story. Earlier, Randeep Hooda stated that he never watched the film as it did not excite him much. He even revealed that he had trained in martial arts and underwent training to play a Sikh soldier.