Randeep Hooda Honoured With Prestigious Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Puruskar

"Oh, Motherland, sacrifice for you is like life; living without you is death" - These impactful words remind us of the sacrifices made by one of India's most influential revolutionaries, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. More than 55 years after his death, Veer Savarkar's journey and sacrifices are now captured in a movie directed by the critically acclaimed actor, Randeep Hooda.

'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' marks Randeep Hooda's directorial debut and showcases his dedication to the project. In an interview, Randeep revealed that he spent two years working on the film and went to great lengths to fund it. He sold his properties to finance the biopic, lost a significant amount of weight to fit into the character's image, and took on the directorial responsibility himself.

Randeep Hooda's efforts and sacrifices have been acknowledged as he recently received the 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Puruskar'. At a ceremony held at Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak in Dadar on 26 May 2024, Randeep received the prestigious award in the presence of the Governor of Bihar, Rajendra Arlekar, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's close family member, Ranjeet Savarkar.

Acceptance Speech

Upon receiving the award, Randeep Hooda said, "I am thankful to every person who is a part of this event and to Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Smarak for considering me worthy of this award. While researching for the film about his life, I realized that one story, one contribution, one sacrifice, and one life dedicated to a single motive had not reached millions of Indians. It had been hidden from them."

He continued, "I made this film with a sense of anger that his words, thoughts, and life history should be known to people. He was not only a great freedom fighter but also a prolific writer, poet, and a person with scientific and progressive thoughts. Today, I believe he is more relatable than many other historical figures in India."

Film Release and Reception

'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' is an authentic biographical drama chronicling the life journey of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The film released in theatres in March and captured Savarkar's story solely from his perspective. It fearlessly embraced his ideals and beliefs that were initially contentious but eventually found their way into modern India.

Now with its World Digital Premiere on ZEE5 on 28 May, viewers who haven't watched the film yet get to relive this forgotten chapter of history.

Stream 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' exclusively on ZEE5 starting 28 May!