Randeep Hooda on struggles he faced during the making of 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar', says survived on water and sold Mumbai properties

'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' was released in theaters on March 22.

Actor Randeep Hooda worked hard for two years on his first film as a director, "Swatantrya Veer Savarkar". He even sold his father's properties in Mumbai to pay for the movie about Damodar Savarkar.

In an interview with a podcast, he shared how he faced financial issues while making the film. He also talked about his journey of losing weight for the role, eating only a little food each day.

In a conversation with a podcast, Randeep said, "I first wanted to release this film on August 15 last year. Then, I wanted to release it on January 26. I put all my effort into it but it didn't happen. The team which was associated with the film didn't intend to make a good-quality film. They only wanted to make a film. When I came in the capacity of a director, that quality was not going to work. So, there were many problems relating to the film's production."

He mentioned selling his properties for the film and not receiving the support he hoped for. He added, "There were financial issues. My father had saved enough and purchased a couple of homes for me in Bombay (Mumbai), which I sold for this film. I spent everything on this film. I felt I couldn't stop making this film. This picture did not receive the kind of support it deserved."

Hooda underwent a dramatic physical transformation to play Savarkar in the film. He astonished his fans with his weight loss when he shared a photo from the set.

He lost a lot of weight for the role, surprising fans with his transformation. He said, "Since this film went on and on, I stayed underweight for a long time. I weighed 60 kgs. I used to only have water, black coffee and green tea. I would survive on it for 20 hours. Then I added chilla, an omelette, dark chocolate, and nuts. I was managing with this much, but then the responsibility of direction came on me. While managing everything, I got weaker and even fell on the set."

After the film was initially shelved, he began to gain weight again. However, when production resumed, he started a strict diet again. His sister, Anjali Hooda, a doctor, helped him safely through his transformation. She said, "I had warned him (Randeep) that it could take a toll on him. However, knowing his dedication for his craft, I didn't want him to be misguided by someone. I am a trained professional and hence took charge to help him in a safe and healthy way."

"Swatantrya Veer Savarkar" was released in theaters on March 22.