Biography

Randeep Hooda is an Indian film actor, equestrian, theatre artist, and social worker.Due to his parents transferable jobs, he spent most of his childhood with his maternal grandmother. During an interview, while talking about his childhood, he said, I am a Jat born in Jassia village and brought up in Rohtak, where I lived with my nani. My parents lived in different countries where my father worked as a surgeon. I would visit my parents during holidays and would travel alone. As a child, I used to run from my school in Rohtak to my village to just hang out with animals as I found solace in them. I was most attached to my nani, who died two years ago. She was so omnipresent in my life and yet, towards her end when she was sick, I could not be with her as I had no work and did not have the luxury to travel whenever I wanted to. Randeep Hoodas childhood photo with his mother and sister.While he was studying in a boarding school, he was quite a mischievous kid. His schoolmates used to call him Randeep Don Hooda. [12]The Indian Express Randeep Hoodas old photo.Since childhood, he was inclined towards sports and used to participate in various sports like swimming, polo, and equestrian. Later, he left participating in sports. Randeep Hooda with his school swimming team.To pursue higher studies, he shifted to Australia. Along with his studies, he did a few odd jobs and worked as a waiter, dishwasher, and taxi driver for almost two years. After completing his graduation, he returned to India, and he did a marketing job with an airline. [13]The Times of India.Hooda then worked as a model in a few modelling assignments. In an interview, while talking about it, he said, When I returned to Delhi, I started modelling with Suneet Verma and started doing a play with Suneet Tandon. But I had an altercation, a bad drink and drive case, had almost killed myself and was laid up in bed for five months, so the play never happened..He then shifted to Mumbai and did his first TV commercial for which he received Rs 1500. [14]The Times of India In an interview, he shared how he spent that money, he said, Out of that `1500, I drank alcohol worth Rs 750 that very night, because as soon as I landed in Mumbai, I got my first commercial. I went to celebrate in a bar and got really drunk. But after that there was no work and I spent my days living behind peoples couches getting out of the house before they woke up, and getting in after they had slept to avoid embarrassment. But gradually things started happening, I started getting movies and life became a little stable..Once, Randeep got a call from one of his friends who asked him to give an audition for the Hindi film Monsoon Wedding (2001). He auditioned for it and got a supporting role in the film.After his debut film, he started getting many film offers, but he refused them because the Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma promised him a lead role in his Bollywood film Ek. To ensure his commitment, Ram used to pay Randeep Rs 35,000/month for three years, but the film got shelved.After almost four years he appeared in the Hindi film D (2005). He then acted in Hindi films such as Darna Zaroori Hai (2006), Risk (2007), Ru Ba Ru (2008), and Karma Aur Holi (2009) which did not help him in getting recognition in the Hindi film industry. Darna Zaroori Hai film poster.