Randeep Hooda is on a career high these days. He has a long list of films to release this year. After SRK and Hrithik, now Randeep will be seen in a legendary character in Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya where he portrays the character of painter Raja Ravi Verma. This is a film that the actor is banking heavily on.
“Rang Rasiya is a period film in which I am playing Raja Ravi Verma – the legendary Indian painter.” says Randeep. He believes it is one of the best characters he has portrayed in films. Randeep feels preparation for any character is important before you portray it onscreen. So what was his preparation to play this legendary character? “I did prepare for this role. But the tragedy is I can’t paint like Raja Ravi Verma, so I dropped the idea”, he quips.
Speaking about his director Ketan Mehta, Randeep says, “It was a great pleasure working with Ketan. He has extracted some really good aspects of me and especially as an actor I feel it’s very important for a film. At the same time I don’t think only one film can decide your standing in the industry. I have done nine films and I am yet to know my standing.”
Randeep’s forthcoming films include Ru Ba Ru, Love Khichdi , Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya, Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye and the long delayed Karma Confessions and Holi . “They have all shaped up pretty well. I am very excited. I have done varied work. Hopefully all my movies capture different audience”, he concludes.
THE IPL launch has been spectacular, with celebrities occupying prime seating and cricket's TV rating rocking. For everyone involved with this tournament there is something new to learn but it is interesting how different people have different takes on the IPL.
The players see the demanding format as a challenge that tests more than technique and temperament. They realise the, in this game, it is necessary to be multi-skilled to be able to do a bit of this and plenty more of that.
Dennis Lillee thinks too much fuss is being made of this all-round angle; a good player is a good player regardless of what he is playing. A coach says Twenty20 is about intuition, innovation and movement.
Cricket officials also face new challenges as they put together a tournament that has an altogether distinctive character. The franchisees have come into cricket with fresh ideas and aggressive strategies to monetise opportunities.
But not all cleverly manufactured plans succeed and Arun Jaitley, politician and administrator who has his finger firmly on the pulse, made an interesting observation on how things are rolling out.
Sitting in his box at the renovated Kotla, soaking in the electric atmosphere of an absorbing contest under floodlights, Jaitley said cricket has moved from ww (wicket and willow) to www, the world of internet/computers and spreadsheets.
But the cosmetic makeover has had only marginal impact and his verdict is the change will be slow and the old and new will coexist.
In such situations, match tickets for instance should be sold through the net, and also from banks and other conventional retail outlets.
Twenty20 is positioned as an alliance of cricket and entertainment, and while some like the result of this union others take a dim view. In their opinion, entertainment is a peripheral activity, only an add-on, and ultimately the product has to deliver quality. But whatever position one takes — for or against — there is no denying it has enormous popular appeal and people love it.
Even critics concede T20 is a mass entertainer, a huge box office hit.
More than anything else, this is a tribute to the power of Indian cricket. The Indian Premier League can succeed big time only in India because it enjoys the support of corporate financial muscle and an exploding media network.
It might take long for franchisees to create a connect with fans and build loyalties similar to the football model in Europe but that is not an immediate concern. What counts is the crowds should have a ball and for sponsors not to be disappointed — as long as India continues to cheer cricket there is nothing to worry.