Randeep Hooda, who is known as one of the finest actor today, admits that it was his school, Motilal Nehru School of Sports, that has made him the man he is today. Even his inspiration to become an actor came from seeing his sister on stage. He says, “She bagged a best actress award and I thought if she can do it, so can I.” He recalls out that he spent most of his time in school either riding or acting and at 40, he’s fortunate to be still doing that.
When he recently visited his school after 24 years for a reunion, He relived the memories by visiting the stables, went into the auditorium and on the stage, visited the open-air theatre and posed for photographs all day with his classmates, teachers and the students. He also visited the school infirmary and realised that this was where he had given some of his best performances while trying to convinced the doctors that he was too unwell to attend classes or sports sessions.
He says, “I was scared of going back to school, not wanting to be treated as special among all these special persons. I’m glad that I did. It was a humbling experience. My best friend, Sandeep Punia, was not there so the reunion was incomplete, but I faced the angels and demons of my childhood and it was a cathartic experience,” he smiles, confiding that he also met his school sweetheart, Charlene Shackleton, a former beauty queen, and spent time chatting with her husband and kids.
