Randeep Hooda (pronounced [rəɳdiːp ɦʊɖːa]; born 20 August 1976) is an Indian actor, who works predominantly in Hindi cinema.

Hooda starred in leading roles in several films, including Murder 3 (2013), John Day (2013) and Rang Rasiya (2014); for later, he was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

[13] While rehearsing for the play To Teach His Own, director Mira Nair approached Hooda to audition for a role in her upcoming film.

[2][16] Hooda made his acting debut in Mira Nair's film Monsoon Wedding (2001), playing a non-resident Indian from Australia.

[21][22] The year 2010 marked a significant turning point in Hooda's career; he appeared in Milan Luthria's Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, a period action drama depicting the rise of organised crime in Mumbai.

[23] Co-starring alongside Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut and Prachi Desai, Hooda played a police officer in the film.

"[30] The following year, Hooda featured in Tigmanshu Dhulia's romantic thriller Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster with Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill.

The film (and his portrayal of a gangster who falls in love with a married woman while working as her driver) earned rave reviews from critics.

In an interview with Digital Spy, Hooda said "My inspiration for this character went back to my roots in Haryana, to the time I grew up and people I observed.

"[30] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India called him "absolutely mesmerising";[31] Garauv Malani wrote, "Randeep Hooda plays the best character of his career so far and gets immense scope to show his performance prowess.

[38] Hooda's final film of the year was Madhur Bhandarkar's drama Heroine, starring Kareena Kapoor, in which he played cricketer Angad Paul.

[39] Media reports began speculating about several actors (such as Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan and Prateik Babbar),[40] although Bhandarkar later confirmed that he selected Hooda after seeing his performance in Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster (2011).

[43] In 2013, Hooda starred opposite Aditi Rao Hydari and Sara Loren in Vishesh Bhatt's Murder 3, an official remake of the 2011 Colombian thriller The Hidden Face.

[46] Later that year, Hooda acted in Ketan Mehta's biographical period film Rang Rasiya, based on the life of the 19th-century Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma.

He also appeared alongside Rani Mukerji and Saqib Saleem in a segment directed by Karan Johar for the anthology film Bombay Talkies.

[48] Parmita Uniyal for Hindustan Times praising Hooda's "nuanced yet controlled" performance wrote that he lent, "authenticity to his character".

Emphasizing on the fim's potential Mid-Day critic Shubha Shetty Saha said the film would have been "wonderful" had it not been for its "downright idiotic" dialogue.

[55][56] Omung Kumar's biographical drama Sarbjit, was his next release, where he portrayed the role of Sarabjit Singh, who was captured by Pakistan and later sentenced to death by their Supreme Court for alleged terrorism.

[66] Hooda made his Hollywood debut with the American action-thriller film Extraction (2020) starring along with Chris Hemsworth and Goldshifteh Farahani.

Hooda will be part of a project tentatively titled SDGM, directed by Gopichand Malineni and featuring Sunny Deol in a leading role.

[68][69] In an interview with Daily News and Analysis he said, "My first stint with theatre was in school, where I was asked to wear a lion mask and roar for several minutes.

"[70] Hooda has appeared in Kali Shalwar Aur Kuchchh Kahaniyan (a play based on Saadat Hasan Manto's short stories), To Teach His Own, and Arms and The Man.

Hooda is the only Bollywood actor who regularly participates in professional equestrian sports, including polo and show jumping.

[74] He started competing at a professional level after the release of his film D.[75] Hooda was coached by Colonel SS Ahalawat and Brigadier Bishnoi in show-jumping and dressage.

[78] In December 2008, Hooda underwent surgery after suffering a severe ankle injury in a fall from his horse during a polo match in Mumbai.

In conclusion, he wrote, "The point is to get tough inside out, play a sport apart from cricket, have heart and stand up in unity and say 'we'll not take shit'.

[85] In September 2010, Hooda and Jackky Bhagnani appeared in a charity fashion show for Khushi, Kapil Dev's NGO to improve poor communities in India.

[87] In December 2012, Hooda participated in an anti-suicide initiative with Imtiaz Ali, Rahul Bose, Mahesh Bhupati, and Nishikant Kamath.

[90] In 2011, a global online survey conducted by Internet Movie Database (IMDb) ranked him seventh on its list of the "20 sexiest men in the world".

[95] He considers Naseeruddin Shah to be his "mentor, friend and confidant", saying, "He's an inspiration and somebody who has helped nurture me as an actor not necessarily my career but my craft.