[Exclusive] Extraction actor Randeep Hooda: A hero who bleeds is always a more empathetic character

Extraction marks Randeep Hooda's first collaboration with Hollywood stalwarts such as Russo Brothers, Sam Hargrave, Chris Hemsworth, who enthralled the American film industry with their action sequences, direction and script. However, unlike the heroes of Marvel Cinematic Universe, Saju, (the character played by Randeep Hooda) does not come with superpowers. During an exclusive seven minutes telephonic conversation with actor Randeep Hooda, he talked about his fascinating experience of working with auteurs of the Hollywood action franchise. Due to a bad network, most of the conversation was all about repeating a question, but he wisely chose to hear the question first before attempting to answer it. 

The lockdown in Extraction is very different from the lockdown we see right now. 

(In Extraction, a complete shut down in the city of Dhaka happens under the orders of a Bangladeshi druglord, and not under the orders of a Prime Minister. The Army, the police, merely work as puppets of the drug lord) 

Yes. That is due to all the commotion caused by Chris Hemsworth and me,(in the film) and this (coronavirus lockdown) is caused due to human greed and lack of empathy towards the environment and the animals and these viruses are spreading because we are encroaching upon their territory and habitats. It's all our fault so they are very different lockdowns.

You have basically worked with the actor, directors and screenplay writers who gave us Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. 

Joe Russo wrote the screenplay, they are one of the biggest filmmakers in the world today, their movies have a global reach, It was a great feeling to be a part of such a big franchise, such a big project. It was directed by Sam Hargrave, who has worked as an action director, a stunt double and has also directed the second unit of Avengers: Endgame. He was a director of Extraction, a great guy, I think he will go a long way as a filmmaker. I mean it was expected of him to be a great action film director, but an action film with such emotions and heart, he just made it more touchy and better.

Ovi, the son of a drug lord never appreciated his father killing other son's fathers, and then there were other children waiting to pick up the gun and fight for the drug lord. Quite contrasting perspective about children. 

Well, that is life, those poor kids who got guns in their hands want to be Ovi's father one day, so their sons can renounce violence. It is the cycle of life. It is a contradiction. (Explains a sequence from the film which have been omitted to avoid spoilers)... so the poor child wants to the riches, security and power that Ovi has been born in to, so that is the cycle of the world, everybody wants a better life, some people want money and power so they end up doing those things but the sensible ones don't. But then when you are hungry, with no place to live, no parents around, at that time when anybody gives you food and a bit of love you would do anything for them.

So you are a hero who gets injured and bleeds. How did you perceive this character?

Yes, a hero that bleeds is always a more empathetic hero, yes he has chosen this path. I don't want to give away too much but the path that he chooses is a path that leads him through this, and he accomplishes what he sets out to do. It is based on the samurai characters of Japanese films.

Do you see yourself as the next action star in Bollywood? 

This is the first time I have done this kind of action, and I would love to be the next action star in Bollywood because I really enjoyed working over here. The drama is good, it has its own pressure, but the scale of this kind of action, I would love to do again, and I hope to get cast in more of such roles, and I would like to a little bit of performance than just bang bang bang you know.

Who are your favourite action heroes from Bollywood and Hollywood?

I used to be a fan of Steven Seagull I look like him a little bit in this movie, Clint Eastwood, a lot of these guys and in India, I loved Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, and Salman Khan, so there are good action heroes in both ends.