Actor Randeep Hooda bagged the role of a lifetime with his latest film Extraction. The film turned out to be one of the biggest successes for streaming giant Netflix, and they even announced an official sequel. But Randeep Hooda wasn’t in the best state of mind during filming.
In an interview with Candy magazine, Hooda revealed that he was preparing to play a Sikh warrior in Battle of Saragarhi, when Extraction was offered to him. The actor had grown his hair and beard to portray a Sikh man, and had pledged to not cut it off till the film is completed. But his role in Extraction required him to be clean shaven, and so the actor had to shave off his hard-earned beard and hair.
He told Candy magazine, “I did not want to deviate too far, in case Saragarhi starts, I could get a beard and finish it off. I really wanted the audience to see that. I was really heartbroken. I had taken a pledge in front of the Guru Granth Sahib in Golden Temple that I will not cut my hair till this movie reaches its conclusion. When I got offered this role in Extraction, I did this audition still hoping that Saragarhi goes on, but it was a very hard decision for me to take off my hair… Kesh Katana. So I went to the Gurdwara here, and I apologised and I said, I have to work. You know, I have to keep working. I mean my job is such that it is a performing art. And if I don’t perform something inside me will die. And I apologised, I came home shaved my beard, with a very heavy heart, I just had to move on by putting an end to it.”
Hooda went on to share how upset he was while filming Extraction. “I was very heartbroken throughout the filming of Extraction as well because a part of me was so attached to Saragarhi. But then I thought that I’ve to move on. And have put your best foot forward, that was kind of a lesson for me to let go of the baggage with grace. Let go of the wrongs with grace and forgiveness. There is a saying in Sikhi called ‘Dekh ke Undekha Kita,’ which means I saw it, but ignore it and decided not carry that baggage. So that was the hardest part and I think the spirituality that I experienced while making Saragarhi helped me a lot. And then of course, as soon as I got on the sets of Extraction, they got me rehearsing for action and that really kind of blew my mind and piqued my interest that I gave it my all to this movie as well. So, I think by moving on and giving your all to the next thing that you’re doing is the only way one can move forward,” he added.
