Randeep Hooda reveals he turned down Ram Gopal Varma’s Ab Tak Chhappan because he wanted to play Nana Patekar’s role: ‘My girlfriend scolded me for not being humble in front of RGV’

Randeep Hooda had always wanted to work with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, especially after seeing the trailer of Company in 2002. “He is the director I can work with,” Randeep thought to himself. Three years later, his dream came true when he landed the lead role in D (2005), written and co-produced by RGV.
Refusing a role, but still catching RGV’s attention
Before D, RGV had approached Randeep for a small role in Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), starring Nana Patekar. However, Randeep turned it down, saying, “I have come here to play Nana Patekar’s role, I’m not doing this role.” Despite this, RGV was impressed by his attitude and invited him for a meeting. “He told me, ‘I love your attitude. Show me your body,’” Randeep recalled during an interview with Shubhankar Mishra. RGV later discussed casting him in Ek, but the film was never made.
Randeep admitted that after showing his attitude, his girlfriend scolded him for not being humble in front of RGV. “The next day, when I went to meet him, I talked to him politely, and he said, ‘I liked you better yesterday.’” This moment helped Randeep realize the importance of humility.
RGV’s generosity during difficult times
When Ek was shelved, Randeep wasn’t sure about his next move and asked RGV for help. “I was looking for other roles because I had a home to run,” Randeep said. RGV, offering him a lifeline, kept him on a salary of Rs 35,000 for three years, telling him not to take on any other work. This allowed Randeep to focus on his career and eventually star in D, which became a moderate success.

Although Randeep and RGV worked together only on D, the actor values their bond. Randeep mentioned that RGV cast him in several films after D, but he was often replaced by other actors. Still, the support RGV provided during tough times remains an important part of Randeep’s career.