Randeep Hooda Talks About Playing The Villain In Radhe, Says He'd Be 'Testing If Salman Khan Learnt Anything From Sultan'

The idea of romance has changed over the years for Randeep Hooda and though the actor believes self-love is paramount, he says appreciating people as they are is the most evolved definition of the concept.

The 43-year-old actor plays the role of a cafe owner in Imtiaz Ali's "Love Aaj Kal", a sort of conduit between the two eras represented in the film.

"Love is now letting another person be who they are and appreciating that rather mould people according to their expectations. The concept of love is more applied now because we have varied lives and interests," Randeep told PTI in an interview.

"Self-love is most important. If you can't love yourself, you can't love others. In these times we need kindness, acceptance and still be able to go your own way," he added.

After "Love Aaj Kal", which hit the screens on Friday, Randeep will next be seen opposite Salman Khan in "Radhe".

"The shooting has been wrapped. It is the first time that I am playing a villain. Salman is a dear friend, it's been a joyride. Prabhudheva is a humble, uncomplicated director and man," the actor said.

Asked about returning for a Salman Khan movie for the third time, the actor joked, "In 'Kick', I'm chasing him around and we were chasing the same girl. In 'Sultan', I was coaching him how to fight and now in 'Radhe', I guess I'm testing him if he's learnt anything from 'Sultan' or not."

Randeep is also playing a key role in Chris Hemsworth-starrer Netflix movie, which was earlier titled "Dhaka".

"I have been offered roles from the West earlier as well, but why I particularly liked this film is because it will burst the Indian stereotype where we have been classified into people- who are not physically apt, are smart, clever, and do menial jobs. -- taxi drivers, truck driver, or are millionaires.

"I get to do a lot of action in the movie. I might be the first Indian male actor to do such an action-packed role in a Hollywood film. It was a great experience working with Hemsworth, Russo brothers and director Sam Hargrave," he said.