Randeep Hooda Recalls Being Sidelined During 'Highway' Promotions, Questions Ranbir Kapoor’s Involvement

New Delhi: Randeep Hooda, who played Mahabir Bhati with devastating intensity in Imtiaz Ali's 2014 thriller ‘Highway’, recently expressed his feelings at not being included in the film's promotion campaign. Hooda said he felt ignored since Ranbir Kapoor, who wasn't even in the film, was involved in its promotion. 

In an interview with writer Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube show, Randeep Hooda expressed his dissatisfaction at being left out of ‘Highway’ promotional campaign till the last minute. 

“Yeh pata nahi kyun hui thi. Iska bura mujhe bhi laga tha kyunki agar uss waqt mujhe aur sahara milta toh shayad mera jeewan thoda aur aasan hota, career aasan ho jata. Maine bhi voh dekha aur mujhe bhi samajh nahi aaya Ranbir Kapoor ka iss picture se kya lena dena hai,” he said, referring to Ranbir Kapoor’s surprising presence in the film’s promotions. 

Randeep Hooda, meanwhile, made a playful connection to Ranbir and Alia's romance, which started around that time. He said, "Shayad vahi se shaadi shuruvat hui aur main unn dono ko mubarakbaad deta hu. Isse agar unka jeewan aapas mein mila toh main isse bohot khush hu."

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Strategic Focus on Alia Bhatt

Given the film's subject of female exploitation, the actor understood why the advertising efforts were focused on Alia. However, he believed that his significant part deserved greater attention, since it may have helped his career at the time. He said, “Shayad unki strategy shuru se thi ki Alia ke around karenge — waise bhi woh film female exploitation pe thi. Par jab film logon tak pohochhi, unko laga ki agar Mahabir Bhati nahi hota uss picture mein, toh picture waise nahi pakad paati.”

Randeep Hooda said that the only reason he was invited in for promotion was because the film was struggling to get momentum in its last two days. 

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