Exactly ten days to go for the release of Jaat, a film headlined by heavyweights Randeep Hooda and Sunny Deol. If the trailer launched recently is anything to go by, the film promises loads of action, bloodbath, gore and bullets flying about and a generous amount of gaali galoch.
But what really stood out was the impeccable casting — Deol and Hooda, in the hero-anti-hero narrative, are a delight as the duo lights up the screen, even as they shock us with their ferocious savagery.
Deol's "Dhai Kilo Ka Haath" combined with Hooda's dreadful stare as the fearsome 'Ranatunga,' makes Jaat a promising watch. Both men seem to have undergone a convincing physical transformation to bring their characters to life successfully.
On his part, Hooda, specifically underwent a "complete shift," both at a physical as well as a "deeper, emotional level," especially after trying to meet the gruelling and often "unrealistic" demands in his preceding film, Swantantrya Veer Savarkar. THE WEEK had met Hooda immediately after the film's release and captured his state of mind, which was more resignation and exasperation when he expressed his desire to "leave everything and go on a long overdue vacation."
At the time, it had hardly been a year into his marriage with Lynn Laishram, and Hooda rued they hardly spent any time together. "If an opportunity like this (speaking about the demands of his character, Savarkar) comes knocking again, I promise I will not take it. I refuse to let my body go through this. It was so draining for me that I had to keep popping pills in order to keep my exhaustion and anxiety in check," he told THE WEEK.
Hooda's physical exertion and exhaustion are evident in the film, as we look at a lean Savarkar, who almost looks undernourished and angsty. Hooda, who also co-wrote the film, pumped in his own money, shed 30 kilos for some parts, and binge-ate throughout the shooting for the film's remaining portions, all through its making duration of one-and-a-half years.
In Jaat, Hooda, also a Jaat by birth, is back with a sculpted physique to play the sinister-looking Ranatunga, making for the ideal 'evil-ish' antagonist to Deol's Jaat. Directed by Gopichand Malineni, Hooda agreed to the film given his "admiration for Deol."
Deol, who at 67, pulls off ambitious stunts and action sequences, continues to be in his element, especially after the massive and unprecedented success of his Gadar 2 that immortalised Tara Singh, his endearing character from the film and its prequel.
Watching Deol in Jaat is akin to watching Tara Singh in action; similarly, watching Hooda as the antagonist stand up to Deol is akin to watching the flame of Savarakar in flesh and blood. So poignant and moving is the pairing of this duo that one cannot unsee it long after the trailer of Jaat is over. The film releases on April 10, and hopefully, the casting reflects well in the screenplay and the storyline to make the film a worthy watch.