Randeep Hooda turns 50: From Bollywood outsider to National Award-Winning director, his unconventional journey

From making his debut in Monsoon Wedding to taking on some of Bollywood’s most challenging characters, Randeep Hooda has spent over two decades refusing to follow the conventional path. At the age of 50, he now adds National Award-winning director to his list of accolades.

Randeep Hooda has never had a smooth journey in Bollywood. While many actors spend decades trying to get roles like the stereotypical hero of the film, Hooda carved out an area for himself in the industry where his roles are very complex, requiring him to completely change his physical appearance.

Born in Rohtak, Haryana on August 20, 1976, he first appeared onscreen in Monsoon Wedding. The struggle to earn this first break was quite extraordinary as Hooda had previously traveled to Melbourne where he could be seen working at several small jobs, including taxi driving and waiting tables.

The success began following the release of Monsoon Wedding. However, it was the role of ACP Agnel Wilson in the film Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, which was directed by Milan Luthria and released in 2010, that revolutionized his career. This particular film made Hooda popular and opened many doors for him in the film industry.

The future of Hooda’s career came down to transformations. In fact, he starred in many films where his role consisted of completely different characters, such as Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster, Highway, Rang Rasiya, Main Aur Charles, Sarbjit and Sultan.

His role in the movie Sarbjit stood out for its revolutionary physical transformation performed by actor’s body.

Nevertheless, the movie illustrated more than just an acting task; in fact, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was released in 2024, which was Hooda’s first time directing; He had also been credited for the screenplay and production of the film, making his debut as an actor in it as well.

This gamble yielded Hooda one of the highlights of his career as he became a director of the debut feature film on July 18, 2026, when the result of the 72nd National Film Awards was declared; indeed, the film was named the Best Debut Film from a Director at the Festival and received the Swarna Kamal prize and Rs. 3 lakh. It’s a perfect outcome for Hooda after spending 25 years making his own way in the industry.

At the age of 50, he shows that at times the best journey is the one that is off the beaten track.