Ours is a sexually repressed society: Randeep Hooda

Actor Randeep Hooda's forthcoming movie "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster" has some steamy scenes and the actor says such bold portrayals are acceptable among viewers who are trying to open up

"Because we have been a sexually repressed society, we are opening a bit more and we have come to accept a few things now," Randeep told IANS in an interview.

"In this film, we have shown extramarital affairs but those things do happen in real life and are spoken about. Boldness in our movie is very topical. We don't have bad language. There are some intimate scenes but they make sense because they are so emotionally and passionately driven that they seem to be a part of the film very seamlessly. So it's not done to titillate anybody," he added.

Mahie Gill and Jimmy Shergill join Randeep in the cast of "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster", about love, betrayal and ambition revolving around the three central characters. Helmed by director Tigmanshu Dhulia, it is set for a Sep 30 release.

Randeep, who has moved from the role of a cop in "Once Upon A Time In Mumbai" to that of a gangster in "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster", describes his character as an innocent man who falls madly in love with a married woman.

"I play Babloo, who is a young boy employed as a driver at the palace of Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill, who are playing 'sahib' and 'biwi' respectively. Mahi's character makes him fall in love with her and he falls head over heels for her...that's where the complexities in the plot start.

"He becomes a passionate lover who will do anything for love and that borders on possessiveness. It's very complicated yet a nice and innocent character," added the 35-year-old who took inspiration for this character from the people he grew up with in his hometown Rohtak, Haryana.

"My inspiration for this character went back to my roots in Haryana, to the time I grew up and people I observed. My uncles were drivers and I thought of those times and people around me," he said.

Finally, the actor, who is also working in the sequel to "Jannat" with Emraan Hashmi and Prachi Desai, says after the success of "Once In A ufffd" things have started looking up for him.

"Things have really changed for me professionally because before 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbai' I did take a hiatus from acting, but that film brought me back in a big way. Now other directors and production houses look at me as an actor who can carry bigger parts and a longer screen presence. So it has helped me a lot," he said.

A management graduate from Australia, Randeep's stint with movies started with "Monsoon Wedding" and it was followed by movies like "Darna Zaroori Hai", "D Company" and "Ru Ba Ru".