Actor Randeep Hooda, who essays the role of an ailing cop in the film ‘Sergeant’, revealed that he was in a “very painful and dark place” while working on his character. The actor had a pending ligament surgery which he underwent before starting the shoot for the film, and channelled the pain from surgery into his character.
The preparation for the role demanded a deep understanding of the character's physical and emotional journey. Randeep said: “Ailing mentally and physically in a way, feeling incomplete because of a physical loss leads to bigger and deeper issues.
Since I was losing a leg at the knee, I didn’t know how to go about it. I had pending ligament surgery, so I got that done before the movie. Talked to my surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and tried to get a feel for what it might feel like to lose a limb.
It was a very painful and dark place to be in”. Despite facing a debilitating knee injury during the shooting process, Hooda managed to channel his pain into his art. "
I sought to make my pain into art, mostly. It’s a very painful and uncomfortable recovery from the operation. I tried to do things with one leg, and it helped that I couldn't use my leg for a long time.
The anger at being incapable of doing things normally and then that becoming your identity, which you stupidly try to hide instead of coming to terms with, The surgery and the pain, though elected, helped a lot,” he added.
Talking about the film, the actor said: “‘Sergeant’ is not only a cop drama but a story about what loss can do to a person mentally, physically, and emotionally, and how one deals with it through different stages. It’s also about unresolved issues one carries from their childhood.
Loss of a limb and a parent, and the conflict and connections between them. Perceptions, memories, and realities.” Directed by Prawaal Raman, 'Sergeant' takes audiences on a transformative journey of loss, conflict, and redemption, exploring the depths of the human psyche.