Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda reacts to winning a National Film Award for his directorial debut, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Hooda receives the Best Debut Director award at the 72nd National Film Awards and tells ANI that the recognition is “a moment” he is still “trying to process.” In his remarks, he describes the filmmaking journey as particularly demanding, saying the film “asked more of me than anything I’ve done,” and that the project involved challenges at multiple stages. He credits persistence by himself and the team despite setbacks during production, adding that they continued working toward telling Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s story with authenticity. Hooda also points to the personal responsibility he felt as an actor, co-writer and first-time director, saying he gave the film everything because he wanted to present Savarkar’s life with sincerity and honesty. He dedicates the award to the cast and crew, saying the honour belongs to everyone involved, and hopes the recognition encourages younger audiences to learn about and reflect on Savarkar’s legacy.
Randeep Hooda says National Award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar still feels surreal
Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda reacts to winning a National Film Award for his directorial debut, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Hooda receives the Best Debut Director award at the 72nd National Film Awards...
- Randeep Hooda wins the Best Debut Director award at the 72nd National Film Awards for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
- Hooda says the win still feels surreal and that he is yet to fully process it.
- He describes the film as one of the most challenging projects of his career, with difficulties throughout production.
- Hooda says he and his team overcame setbacks while focusing on authenticity in portraying Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s story.
- He dedicates the award to the cast and crew and hopes it helps younger audiences engage with Savarkar’s legacy.
Randeep Hooda has won the Best Debut Director award at the 72nd National Film Awards for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Reacting to the honour, the actor-filmmaker said that the recognition still feels surreal and that he is yet to fully process the achievement. He also reflected on the arduous journey of bringing the biographical drama to life, calling it one of the most demanding projects of his career.Speaking to ANI, Randeep said, "Being announced as the winner of the National Award for Best Debut Director for Swatantryaveer Savarkar is a moment I'm still trying to process." Reflecting on his directorial debut, he added, "This film asked more of me than anything I've ever done. The journey of this film was filled with challenges at every juncture, but I'm glad we saw it through and overcame each of those." Through these remarks, the actor acknowledged the numerous hurdles the team encountered during the making of the film but expressed satisfaction that their perseverance ultimately paid off.Randeep Hooda wins Best Debut Film of a Director at National Film Awards 2026. In a press statement, Randeep Hooda says, "Being announced as the winner of the National Award for Best Debut Director for Swatantryaveer Savarkar is a moment I’m still trying to process. This film… pic.twitter.com/1B0LLFy0g0— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2026 Randeep further shared that, despite facing several setbacks and difficulties throughout the filmmaking process, he and his team never gave up. He said they continued to find the strength to move forward and remained committed to telling Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's story with authenticity. Thanking the entire cast and crew, the actor emphasised that the honour belonged to everyone who stood by the project and contributed to bringing it to the screen.Elaborating on the personal responsibility he felt towards the film, Randeep said, "And despite that, somehow we kept finding the strength to move forward. As an actor, co-writer and first-time director, I gave this film everything I had because I felt an immense responsibility towards telling Veer Savarkar's story with sincerity and honesty."Addressing the hardships the team faced during production, the actor said those struggles were insignificant when compared to Savarkar's own life and sacrifices. "Whatever we endured while making this film is insignificant compared to the life he lived and the sacrifices he made," he said.72nd National Film Awards Winners: Srikanth Wins Best Hindi Feature Film, Yami Gautam Gets Best Actress, Kartik Aaryan Is Best Actor View this post on Instagram A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) Concluding his statement, Randeep dedicated the award to everyone associated with the film. He expressed hope that the recognition would encourage more people, particularly the younger generation, to learn about and reflect on Savarkar's legacy. "I'm deeply grateful to my entire team for believing in this dream and standing by it through every high and low. This recognition belongs to all of us, and I hope it inspires more people, especially the younger generation, to discover and reflect on Veer Savarkar's legacy," he added.Other major winners at the 72nd National Film Awards included Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam, Mammootty, Dhanush, Blessy, and others who were honoured across various categories, while Article 370 emerged as the Best Feature Film winner.
6 hours agoRandeep Hooda won the award for Best Debut Director for the biographical drama
6 hours ago
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