Swatantra Veer Savarkar: Ankita Lokhande Reveals Randeep Hooda Did Not Want Her In The Movie

Ankita Lokhande is gearing up for the release of her movie Veer Savarkar. Based on the life of the freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the biographical drama will hit the big screen on March 22. The movie features Randeep Hooda in the lead role who has also directed the film. Ahead of the film’s release, actress Ankita Lokhande, who plays the protagonist’s wife in the movie opened up about how Hooda did not want her to feature in the film initially. 

Ankita Lokhande reasons why Randeep Hooda did not want her to be in the film initially 

Ankita Lokhande along with other cast and crew members of Veer Savarkar attended the film’s trailer launch in Pune on March 11. Speaking at the event, the Pavitra Rishta fame opened up about how she got on board in the film and appreciated Hooda for his extensive research that went behind the movie. 

The actress, in Marathi, recalled Randeep Hooda rejecting her for the film citing that she is too ‘pretty’ for the role. As per DNA, the actress said, “He told me, 'I don't think I want you in the film'. I was like, why? He was like, 'You are too pretty for the character (Yamunabai Savarkar)'. I was like, 'Please don't say that'.” The actress then appreciated actor-director Hooda for his extensive research before the film. She added, “He knew everything about what she (Yamunabai Savarkar) was like. She was the successful woman behind a successful man (Veer Savarkar).”

Ankita Lokhande reveals Randeep Hooda did not want her to put makeup in the film 

Ankita Lokhande, who essays the role of Yamunabai Savarkar, the wife of V. D. Savarkar, in the upcoming Randeep Hooda-directorial Swatantra Veer Savarkar, said that her director and fellow actor was not in favour of make-up for her character. She said Randeep did so to bring out the rawness of the character. The actress told IANS at the film’s trailer launch, “I relate with Yamunabai because she is a very strong woman. If I talk about the preparations for this role, Randeep gave me freedom as an actor. As a director, he'd listen to how I wanted to perform/execute a scene and then tell me what he wanted me to do. This character isn't about dialogues, but more about expression." 

She added, “Yamunabai went through a lot in her life. She endured a lot of pain, which I have tried to portray on screen. I don’t know whether I have done justice to the character, but I am a director's actor. That’s what I feel. I try to always follow what the director instructs me or wants from me. , I had blind trust in Randeep. When my look was being discussed, Randeep clearly mentioned that he didn't want any kind of makeup on me. He wanted me to be raw and rugged, just like how Yamunabai was. That also helped me perform and enhance the role while playing it.” 

The film is directed and co-written by Randeep Hooda with Utkarsh Naithani. Produced by Zee Studios, Anand Pandit, Randeep Hooda, Sandeep Singh and Yogesh Rahar, the film also stars Ankita Lokhande and Amit Sial.