The Showman

He says Varma put him on a payroll of Rs 35,000 for the next three years. “I did get good movies — Ru Ba Ru,Risk and D — but the three-year lapse in release spoiled it all,” he says. Hooda made his screen presence felt again with Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and is now looking forward to Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster. “I don’t believe in living the life of an angry actor,” says Hooda.

So,while films weren’t happening,Hooda explored other interests — jazz,gardening,saxophone and his passion for show jumping and dressage,both of which are Olympic-level events. A horse-lover,Hooda has won many national awards as a show jumper and is a regular in the stallion circuit. “The horse,to me,is one of the most elegant,beautiful and powerful animals,and I’ve been doing show jumping for four years now,” says Hooda. While the sport is catching on,Hooda feels it still has to come out of the Army territory to move into the public domain.

“There are many sports on which the Indian Army has a monopoly,which is both good and bad. Good,because expensive sports such as shooting and show jumping get their due growth and sustenance. Bad,because these sports shouldn’t be limited to the Forces alone. If we have to churn out international winners,these sports have to be made accessible to the civilians as well,” says the actor,adding,“Every sport needs to have an audience and this disparity needs to be addressed.”

Back to films,he says he is open to films,and he will be doing more of them. “But not romcoms,for Indian filmmakers are yet to master a good romcom formula beyond the sugar coated one that exists today.” Someone is really showing all his faces.