Randeep Hooda Reveals REAL Reason He Declined Aamir Khan's Rang De Basanti: 'I Won't Stand Behind Him'
Randeep Hooda regrets turning down the role of Bhagat Singh in the 2006 film Rang De Basanti, influenced by Ram Gopal Varma's advice.
Randeep Hooda recently opened up about a career decision he regrets—turning down Rang De Basanti, the 2006 film led by Aamir Khan. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, the 48-year-old actor revealed that despite initially being selected to portray Bhagat Singh, he ultimately opted out of the project.
He recalled how director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, in an intoxicated state, had approached him with the role, but it was a conversation with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma that influenced his final decision. Varma had posed a pointed question: would Hooda rather lead a film or play second fiddle to Aamir Khan? Reflecting on the choice, Hooda attributed his decision to his “jaat akad" — a term he used to describe his stubborn pride — and now considers it a missed opportunity.
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“If I would have done ‘Rang De Basanti’, I would have come to a different league. I gave an audition and I liked it. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra would come to me, sometimes driving drunk, and he would ask me ‘kar le kar le picture karle [do it, do it, do this picture].’ I asked him to drive safely," he recalled.
He added, “I wanted to do that film but during that time, Ram Gopal Varma told me, ‘I am thinking of casting you in the lead role in D and you will go and stand behind Aamir in the poster.’ Meri Jaat akad nikal aai [My Jaat arrogance took over my mind], and I said, ‘I won’t stand behind Aamir.’ That happened, and I left Rock On also for similar reasons."
Rang De Basanti is a critically acclaimed 2006 Indian drama film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Blending contemporary themes with historical context, the film tells the story of a group of carefree college students who are cast in a documentary about Indian freedom fighters. As they dive deeper into the roles of iconic revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, the lines between past and present begin to blur, inspiring them to take a stand against modern-day corruption and injustice. With powerful performances, a stirring soundtrack by A.R. Rahman, Rang De Basanti became a huge success.
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