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Actor Randeep Hooda recalled the difficult experience of directing and starring in the film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, a portion of which he filmed at the Colonial era Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The controversial freedom fighter was imprisoned at the jail, colloquially known as Kaala Paani. In an interview, Randeep was asked if he ever felt Savarkar’s ‘presence’ on set, particularly at the prison, where he filmed some scenes at nighttime.
Appearing on the BeerBiceps podcast, Randeep spoke about channeling Savarkar, and losing several kilos to prepare for the role. “I started feeling like Savarkar was the director himself,” he said. The host asked if he ever felt Savarkar’s presence on set, and Randeep replied, “Yes, in every frame. There were times when I really felt that. I used to feel sometimes, while working, I used to see a shadow, of myself sometimes, and I used to think, ‘Wow, that looks like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’.”
Randeep also opened up about his experience shooting at the Cellular Jail, which he said was on the verge of being erased from the face of the earth. This would have also erased the stories that took place there. He got permission from government ministries to film there, which he said was a difficult task to accomplish, but the film couldn’t have been made without the location. “I wanted to spend some time alone in Savarkar’s cell, so I asked to be locked inside it. I was okay for a while, but then, I felt the walls crashing down on me. I started screaming for help, but my voice wouldn’t travel. I became claustrophobic, I began to lose my breath,” he said.
Asked if he ever spent the night in the jail, he said, “Alag hi type ka sannatta hota tha wahan pe raat ko (There used to be an eerie silence at night). There would be no breeze. But the location was never shut down completely. They would have light and sound shows there at night.” The host then chose to ask him if he ‘heard or saw anything’ there at nighttime. Randeep replied, “I could only sense that there used to be people here once, and now they aren’t. Sometimes, in the wings… But there were so many people, so you can’t tell… But nobody would wander too far.”
Released on March 22, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar opened to mixed reviews, and has so far made Rs 13 crore at the box office. Randeep, who put his own money into the film, said that he is quite stressed about the release.
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