Randeep Hooda on National Award win for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar: ‘The film asked more of me than anything I’ve done’

Randeep Hooda won the National Film Award for Best Debut Director for the biographical drama, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. The film tells the story of Hindutva idealogue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, exploring his early revolutionary activities and the torture he faced at the cellular jail. The film marks Hooda’s directorial debut, who also plays the titular role.

Randeep shared his reaction after winning the honour. He said in a statement, “It is a moment I’m still trying to process. 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. 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.”

He added that he is grateful to his entire team for believing in “his dream”. “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 concluded.

The 72nd National Film Awards were announced on Saturday (July 18, 2026). The awards honour films that received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the 2024 calendar year.

Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan and Yami Gautam bagged the acting honours for their performance in Bramayugam, Chandu Champion and Article 370 respectively. Article 370 was also adjudged the Best Feature Film.