The Indian film industry received another boost on September 24, when it was revealed that Randeep Hooda’s directorial debut, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, has been officially submitted as an entry for the 97th Academy Awards, following the selection of Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025.
Randeep Hooda, along with Ankita Lokhande and producer Sandip Singh, shared the exciting news through a joint social media post.
The post, accompanied by a poster of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, showed Randeep proudly holding a clapboard while standing alongside the film's producers.
The trio expressed their gratitude to the Film Federation of India for recognizing their work and giving them the honor of representing India at the prestigious Oscars.
"Honored and humbled! Our film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar has officially been submitted for the Oscars. Thank you, Film Federation of India, for this remarkable appreciation. This journey has been incredible, and we are immensely grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way. #WhoKilledHisStory," read the caption of their post.
The news was met with widespread excitement, with fans flooding the comments section with congratulations. One fan wrote, “Damn! Congratulations to the entire SVS team,” while another commented, “Finally getting its due!” Some hailed it as a deserving entry, with one fan saying, “This film totally deserves an Oscar.”
However, reactions were mixed, with some users criticizing the submission. One remarked, “Flop movie kaun Oscars?” while another questioned, “How many movies are sent to the Oscars?”
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a biographical drama based on the life of Indian freedom fighter Veer Savarkar. The film, released on March 22, 2024, in Hindi and Marathi, stars Randeep Hooda in the lead role, alongside Ankita Lokhande as Yamuna Bai, Savarkar's wife, and Amit Sial in a key role.
Despite facing box office challenges, the film has gained recognition for its portrayal of Veer Savarkar's controversial and lesser-known life events. It is currently streaming on Zee5.
During a podcast appearance, Randeep Hooda revealed the personal sacrifices he made for the film, sharing that he invested his own funds, including proceeds from properties purchased by his father in Mumbai.
"We had financial difficulties. My father had saved up and bought two or three properties for me in Mumbai, I let go of them and put the money into the movie. I couldn’t stop. This film didn’t have anybody’s support," Hooda said.
In preparation for the role, Hooda underwent a significant physical transformation, shedding kilos to portray the freedom fighter.
While the film has faced criticism from some quarters for allegedly spreading propaganda, Hooda has consistently defended his project.
"This is an anti-propaganda film. It will counter all the propaganda against Savarkar that has been going on for decades. He was not a ‘maafiveer’ (apologist), and many others also wrote mercy petitions at the time. I have addressed this extensively in the film," Hooda explained.
The announcement of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’s submission to the Oscars has sparked debates across social media, with both accolades and critiques coming in.
Nonetheless, for Randeep Hooda and his team, the recognition stands as a testament to their commitment and dedication to telling the story of one of India’s most debated historical figures.
With two Indian films now officially submitted for the Oscars 2025, the race is on to see which one makes it to the prestigious final nomination list.
