Ankita Lokhande is currently earning praise for her portrayal of Yamunabai in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, where she stars opposite Randeep Hooda. In a recent interview with India Today, Ankita Lokhande was accompanied by her close friend and producer, Sandeep Ssingh, who spoke about her pivotal role in his career. Sandeep shared how Ankita came to his aid during a challenging phase of his career, recalling their friendship dating back to his tenure as a CEO while co-producing major films like Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and others.
When the opportunity for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar arose, Sandeep Ssingh said that he found himself facing reluctance from others due to the media scrutiny he had undergone. However, Ankita Lokhande immediately agreed to portray Yamunabai in the film under one condition – that she would not accept payment for her role.
He added, “When I got Savarkar, nobody wanted to work with me because I had gone through a lot of media trials. They(actors) thought if they worked with me, their image [would get tarnished]. [As] a friend, a brother, a family member, I went to her house. I never told her that nobody wanted to work with me. I just told her, ‘I want you to play Yamuna Bai in Savarkar. She said, ‘Done. I am not going to charge anything for this film’. I said, ‘then you are in all my films.’”
He further credited Ankita as the first one to encourage him to pursue directing. Sandeep recounted Ankita’s unwavering support, as she expressed her willingness to act in his films from the outset.
Sandeep said, “She (Ankita) said that ‘Sandeep, ek cheez hai – tum film banana toh main hi acting karungi (But there’s one thing – whenever you make a movie, I’ll act in it)’. I said, ‘ok’. When I made Safed, I approached her but at that time, she couldn’t do the film.”
For the unversed, this project is a biopic of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. In February, the makers unveiled the release date of the film. Randeep Hooda announced that the film is all set to hit the theatres on March 22, 2024. “Two heroes of Indian Independence Struggle; One celebrated and One removed from History…On #MartyrsDay 2024 – HISTORY WILL BE REWRITTEN #SwatantryaVeerSavarkar IN CINEMAS ON 22nd March 2024,” he wrote. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is directed and co-written by Randeep Hooda alongside Utkarsh Naithani. It also stars Ankita Lokhande and Amit Sial in pivotal roles.
