Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda is back in the headlines for yet another powerful role in Jaat, starring Sunny Deol in the lead. Moviegoers are loving Hooda's villainous role of Ranatunga. Over time, Hooda has proven himself as a versatile actor by taking up several challenging roles with different shades, including Highway, Sarbjit and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, to name a few. Undeniably, Hooda nailed Veer Savarkar's role with his powerful performance as essaying the role of a freedom fighter is not a cup of tea for everyone. However, did you know Randeep Hooda once turned down the role of Bhagat Singh for his 'Jaat arrogance'?

During an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Randeep Hooda confessed to rejecting the role of the legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh for his 'Jaat arrogance'.

As revealed by Hooda during the interview, filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra approached Hooda for the role of Bhagat Singh in his 2006 blockbuster Rang De Basanti.

When asked if he had ever rejected a movie out of arrogance he revealed about the role in Rang De Basanti and the reason for turning it down.

The Murder 3 actor said, "Voh agar main karta toh shayad alag league mein aajata” (Had I done that film, I would have been in a different league). I was offered Bhagat Singh's role in the film. I did the audition, and they liked it. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra would come to me, sometimes driving drunk, and he would ask me ‘kar le kar le picture karle (please do the film)."

Further, he also revealed that he wanted to do the film. However, at the time, he only knew two people in the industry, his then-girlfriend and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma. While his GF showed no interest in the film and advised him not to take on a small role, RGV also did the same.

"RGV told me, ‘I’m thinking of casting you in the lead role in D, and you want to go stand behind Aamir in the poster?’ Meri Jaat akad nikal aayi (My Jaat arrogance came up), and I said, ‘I won’t stand behind Aamir,’" he said.

Further, he added, "I’ve always worked with slightly different kinds of filmmakers and producers, not the industry insiders—maybe that’s why my growth was slower. I used to think I was enough and that craft was everything, but that’s not the case.”

About Rang De Basanti

Written, produced, and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Rang De Basanti was a box-office hit socio-political drama. The ensemble cast included Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, British actress Alice Patten, Waheeda Rehman, and Soha Ali Khan.