Randeep Hooda (born 20 August 1976) is an Indian actor, director and producer who works in Hindi films. He is known for his physical transformations and intense character roles. He made his debut in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001) and won acclaim for Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Highway, Main Aur Charles and Sarbjit. He reached global audiences opposite Chris Hemsworth in Netflix’s Extraction (2020), and he made his directing debut with Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (2024). He is also a competitive equestrian.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Randeep Singh Hooda |
| Born | 20 August 1976, Rohtak, Haryana, India |
| Age | 50 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actor, director, producer, equestrian |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Education | Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram; degrees in marketing and human resources in Melbourne, Australia |
| Spouse | Lin Laishram (m. 2023) |
| Children | 1 (daughter, born 2026) |
| Known for | Monsoon Wedding, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Highway, Sarbjit, Extraction, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar |
Early Life and Education
Hooda was born in Rohtak, Haryana. His father is a surgeon and his mother a social worker. At the Motilal Nehru School of Sports he won medals in swimming and horse riding. He later attended Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram. In 1995 he moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he studied marketing and human resource management and worked jobs including in restaurants, at a car wash and as a taxi driver. After returning to India he acted in theatre in Delhi and was mentored by the actor Naseeruddin Shah.
Career
Hooda made his debut in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001). His breakthrough came as a police officer in the period gangster film Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), alongside Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi. He followed it with Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster (2011) and Jannat 2 (2012).
Hooda played a truck driver who kidnaps a young woman in Imtiaz Ali’s Highway (2014), opposite Alia Bhatt, and critics widely praised him. He also appeared in the blockbuster Kick (2014) with Salman Khan. He played the painter Raja Ravi Varma in Rang Rasiya and the serial killer Charles Sobhraj in Main Aur Charles (2015). For Sarbjit (2016), about an Indian man imprisoned in Pakistan, he lost a great deal of weight. He also played the wrestling coach in Sultan (2016).
Hooda made his Hollywood debut as Saju, a former special forces soldier, in Netflix’s Extraction (2020) with Chris Hemsworth. He appeared in Radhe (2021) and the Netflix series CAT (2022). He directed, co-wrote, produced and starred in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (2024), a biopic of the Hindutva ideologue V. D. Savarkar, for which he again transformed physically. He played the villain in Sunny Deol‘s action film Jaat (2025) and starred in the series Inspector Avinash.
Equestrian Sport
Hooda is a trained equestrian who competes in show-jumping and dressage and plays polo. He won several medals at India’s National Equestrian Championship in 2014.
Personal Life
Hooda married the Manipuri actress Lin Laishram in a traditional Meitei ceremony in Imphal, Manipur, in November 2023. Their daughter was born in March 2026.
Awards and Honours
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Randeep Hooda born?
Randeep Hooda was born on 20 August 1976 in Rohtak, Haryana, India and is 50 years old.
What is Randeep Hooda known for?
Known for: Monsoon Wedding, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Highway, Sarbjit, Extraction, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
Featured image: Randeep Hooda. Photo by Bollywood Hungama, licensed under CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
