MUMBAI: National, 27th May 2024: “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 who played a crucial role in India’s struggle for independence against British rule. More than 55 years after his death, Veer Savarkar’s journey and sacrifices are now captured in a movie and the one at the helm of this is none other than the critically acclaimed actor, Randeep Hooda. 

‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ not only marked Randeep’s foray into direction but also showcased his dedication and sacrifices for the project. During one of the interviews, Randeep revealed that he spent two years working on the film and went to great lengths to fund the film. He shared that he sold his properties to finance the biopic, lost a significant amount of weight to fit into the character’s image, and then took on the directorial responsibility upon himself as he wasn’t happy with the original team associated with the film.

And all the efforts, dedication and sacrifices made by Randeep Hooda are being acknowledged now as he recently received ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Puruskar’. At a ceremony held at Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak in Dadar on 26th May 2024, Randeep Hooda received the prestigious award and recognition in the presence of the Governor of Bihar, Rajendra Arlekar and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s close family member, Ranjeet Savarkar.
Randeep Hooda upon receiving the award 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. 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. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to depict his life on screen, and I am happy that people have appreciated the movie. Whenever I secretly attended screenings and saw the audience applaud at the end, I felt immense gratitude towards Savarkar Ji, and my entire team who put in so much effort to make this film. For me, this has been the most important character and project of my life. I have tried to present it with the utmost sincerity”.

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is an authentic biographical drama, chronicling the life journey of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the most dreaded Indian revolutionary ever. The film which released in theatres in March captured Savarkar's story solely from his perspective, fearlessly embracing his ideals and beliefs that were initially contentious but eventually found their way into the fabric of modern India. Now with its World Digital Premiere on ZEE5 on 28th 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 May 28!