Randeep Hooda’s first National Film Award carries a meaning that goes beyond his transition from actor to filmmaker.
Hooda received the Best Debut Film of a Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22. President Droupadi Murmu presented the honour, which includes a Swarna Kamal and a ₹3 lakh cash prize. The award had originally been announced in July as part of the National Film Awards for films certified in 2024.
A day after the ceremony, Hooda shared photographs from the occasion and reflected on how differently the milestone felt now that he is a father.
“I wasn’t just there as Randeep Hooda but as Nyomica’s father and to share that moment with my family there made it even more special,” he wrote.
The award recognizes Hooda’s first film as a director
The category is worth clarifying because Hooda has been working in Indian cinema for more than two decades, but Swatantrya Veer Savarkar marked his feature directorial debut.
Hooda took on considerably more than directing duties. He played Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the biographical drama and was also involved as a writer and producer. Zee Studios’ official credits list Hooda and Utkarsh Naithani on the story, screenplay and dialogue, while Hooda was among the film’s producers.
The film opened theatrically on March 22, 2024, with Ankita Lokhande and Amit Sial among its principal cast.
The National Film Awards jury subsequently selected it for Best Debut Film of a Director, making the project Hooda’s first National Award-winning work as a filmmaker. The government’s official winners list specifically credited him as director and awarded the film the Swarna Kamal.
Hooda says the recognition belongs to more than one person
Hooda’s reaction focused less on the trophy itself and more on the people who helped him reach the stage.
He credited the team that worked on Swatantrya Veer Savarkar and the audience that has supported his work over what he described as a 25-year career. He also shared photographs with his wife, Lin Laishram, and their daughter Nyomica.
“This was not for me but for the team of many who worked tirelessly to bring this movie alive,” Hooda wrote in his note.
His final takeaway was forward-looking rather than reflective. “With this great pat on the back, I feel so encouraged to do so much more,” he said.
That may be the most significant part of the win for Hooda’s career. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was not simply another acting assignment; it put him behind the camera while he was also carrying the film in its central role. The National Award now gives that first directing effort formal recognition at a point when Hooda appears interested in continuing to expand beyond acting.
The 72nd National Film Awards were also notable for being presented in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, with President Murmu congratulating the winners and emphasizing the collaborative nature of filmmaking during the ceremony.
