“Everybody does it, but nobody wants to admit that they do it,” says Randeep Hooda.
The Bollywood actor is alluding to the thousands of desperate Indians who resort to buying blood illegally in a country where demand outstrips supply.
As per Indian laws, buying blood is not allowed and the blood that you get from a licensed blood bank needs to be replaced with a family member’s blood.
“But there is a mindset that giving blood is unholy and makes you weak. So, Indians prefer to buy blood and that’s when blood mafia and blood touts raise their ugly head,” says Hooda.
His latest film, Laal Rang, explores that dark side of blood donation. Set in Karnal in the North Indian state of Haryana, Hooda plays a rakish rogue who wants to earn money quick.
Laal Rang also stars Akshay Oberoi, who plays Hooda’s best friend.
tabloid! caught up with Hooda in Dubai recently to talk about the film, which releases on April 21.
What is Laal Rang about?
There’s an interesting dialogue in the film which goes: ‘we are all puppets made of five litres of blood and 250g of heart.’
Laal Rang, the colour of passion and anger, is about the blood mafia operating in Karnal in Harayana. In my opinion, there is no graver and hideous crime than the trade of blood illegally. It’s worse than trading in drugs and organs. The subject may be grim, but the characters in Laal Rang will make you smile. Laal Rang is set against the backdrop of a hideous crime like illegal blood trading, but it also explores the stories of friendship and love in small towns. It’s a story of betrayal and redemption. Watch out for the attitude and humour of the Harayanvi people in this one. When director Syed Ahmad Afzal narrated the story to me, I was laughing hard.
What should we know about your character?
Shankar is the most flamboyant character that I have ever played in my career. His clothes, his attitude and the way he deals with people is unique. He has a larger-than-life personality and he just wins you over with that appeal. When you think of a bad boy with a good heart, you think of Shankar. All those crimes he commits, he believes he’s doing it for love. He’s that bad boy with a good heart. It’s a wonderful film that explores a dark topic like blood mafia in an inherently funny manner.
But what’s funny about trading blood in an illegal manner?
In India, there is a rule that you cannot buy blood. You need to replace the blood that you take with another bottle. All of us need blood at some point in our lives. But there are so many myths surrounding blood donation that many Indians shy away from giving blood. There is a mindset that giving blood is unholy and makes you weak. So, Indians prefer to buy blood and that’s when blood mafia and blood touts raise their head.
In 2002 in Karnal in Haryana, there were several incidents where certain groups sell you blood for Rs2,000 [Dh110] per bottle. Then, these nefarious characters would go in search of a poor person who is willing to donate blood. They will bleed him, give him Rs200 and a packet of glucose-filled biscuits. Did you know, there’s a village in Maharashra going through drought right now and they are surviving by donating blood? Blood has become this powerful currency. Laal Rang exposes that world.
Is Harayana an important aspect of this film?
Absolutely. Had Laal Rang been based in any other Indian city, it wouldn’t have been so funny.
The Harayanvis have acquired a wry sense of humour over time. Remember Datto in Tanu Weds Manu? She was Haryanvi and was so lovable. I am a sucker for Hindustani [Indian] stories. In India, water and dialect changes every 20km. There is huge diversity there and each diversity has its own eccentricity, its own unique flavour. We have tried to bring the flavour of Haryana in Laal Rang.
Your career is a mixed bag filled with good and terrible films. Along with Murder 3, you have a fabulous film like Highway on your catalogue. Do you look at your own career and question your own choices?
I think I was bad only in one film. I won’t name it, but you already have. As an actor, I want to play all kinds of characters. My work is about changing my being to get into my role. To me it’s not just about growing moustaches or colouring my hair differently. If you look at my last six films ranging from Rang Rasiya, Kick, Main Aur Charles and Highway, I have attempted to do different roles. I want to make work interesting for myself.
But do you feel bad that you are one of the most under-rated and under-utilised actors in Bollywood?
There are times when I feel I haven’t got my due. But then I tell myself that the world doesn’t owe me anything. Then, such thoughts fade away instantly.
Don’t miss it!
Laal Rang releases in the cinemas near you this Thursday.
