Be it Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011), Highway (2014), or Sarbjit (2016), each movie boasts a strong performance by Randeep Hooda. But look at the actor’s filmography and you’ll notice something sorely missing — comedies. The actor, who is currently shooting Vishal Bhardwaj’s gangster drama, rues that he has been stereotyped to the point that laugh riots have stopped coming his way. “I have always gravitated towards complex characters and intense stories, but there is a part of me that wants to do something fun. I haven’t had the right opportunity to explore comedy, and when I did try a couple of times, those stories didn’t find the right audience. Doing a good comedy is definitely on my wish-list,” says Hooda.

For an actor, it’s essential to be diverse. Hooda says he wants to expand his range as a performer by showcasing his light-hearted side. He shares, “In this phase of my career, I want to surprise people. A big part of that will be trying out light-hearted roles. People expect me to be serious all the time. It’s frustrating because I don’t want to be limited. There is a whole side of me that has never been tapped into.”