Jay Patel on “Swatantra Veer Savarkar”: “Poor Randeep was fasting for 19 hours, but I was eating everything to gain weight—Exclusive”

Randeep Hooda’s historical drama “Swatantra Veer Savarkar” features Indo-American actor Jay Patel in the character of scholar and liberation warrior Shyamji Krishna Varma. ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’ has brought in more than Rs 21 crore since its March 22, 2024, release. Jay has contributed to many productions, including “Torbaaz,” “Milan Talkies,” and “Bhuj: The Pride of India,” and he produced and starred in the English short film “I’m Gonna Tell God Everything.”

Jay Patel’s career in the film industry has been varied, spanning from being a successful businessman to a dedicated actor. He has worked as a producer, director, and actor.

Jay discussed his experience working with Randeep Hooda, a project he plans to collaborate on with Sanjay Dutt, and his hopes for the film adaptation of “Swatantra Veer Savarkar” in an exclusive interview with ETimes. Take-outs:
When did you accept Randeep Hooda’s generous offer to play a major part in this movie?
Suddenly, around 2:30 in the evening in New York City, I received a call from Randeep. As friends, we like hanging out and having fun together, and sometimes we even go horseback riding. He then said to me, “Hey, since you’re a native Gujarati, do you have any knowledge of Shyamji Krishna Varma?” Since I’m from Ahmedabad and have known Shyamji since I was born, I can honestly say that I know a great deal about him. Shyamji’s house is just 500 feet away from the house of my closest buddy. All I knew about him was A to Z. I began by introducing him to the background of this freedom warrior, including his founding of “India House” in the UK and his cordial relationships with Madam Cama, Dadabhai Naoroji, and other individuals. After hearing this, Randeep became quite impressed and said, “Dude, how do you know all this even after living in the United States?” He was quite impressed and persuaded me to play the part of Shyamji. He assured me not to worry about it when I told him I couldn’t act. Because he instructs students in acting and other subjects whenever he has spare time in Mumbai. He assured me that if you are familiar with the character, acting is simple.
Did you go through any major physical changes, as Randeep did, for this film?
The character played by Shyamji Krishna Varma is seen in the movie at two different ages: 58 and 70, respectively, while he was in Paris. Randeep then informed me that I would have two glances. I had to prepare myself well since they were turning me bald on a daily basis. I would thus need four hours to finish doing my makeup. I would start getting ready and doing makeup around five in the morning, if we all typically start at nine thirty. The toughest part began when I realised I needed to gain at least 6 to 7 kg of weight to play the part. I was consuming a wide variety of foods, including vada pav and gulab jamun, which I had never tasted before in my life. Moreover, poor Randeep was prohibited from eating after a 19-hour fast. Sometimes he would add, “Don’t do it in front of me because I’m going to die,” which made me feel even worse. Thus, it was quite the opposite for me. Then he showed me how to get off of the sofa, wake up, and walk like a fifty-eight-year-old man. Thus, he was providing me with that level of preparation for two hours every day.
Randeep recently responded to Bollywood’s “no show” stance about the movie. What are your thoughts on it and the movie’s reception? He was dissatisfied with it.
He worked very hard. He’s not an actor, for instance, who just dons phoney clothing and a beard for his movies. In whatever he does, he puts his whole being into the role. However, there may be issues when you produce or direct a film for the first time. This movie is going to be a textbook for the next generation, and you have so much duty. Many works were translated from Marathi into English by Randeep. He was saying that if you work as hard in any other sector, people will come and look. As if people ought to see this type of film. Given how much effort he has put in, I have no doubt that this picture will be taught in film schools in 20 years. We discussed our heroes and almost a century and a half of history because of how masterfully he performed it.
In order to pay for the movie, Randeep had to sell his father’s estates. Have you all ever spoken about his financial situation after the movie’s release?
Is that what you refer to as a friend? You communicate positively, you talk from the heart, and that’s what’s known as friendship—even when you’re down. He had no intention of backing down. Following their conversation with his father, he gained a great deal of confidence. His father sold his land because he agreed with his concept. Of course, you chat and provide support in every manner as a friend. He is surrounded by a few close friends, and his sister, who plays “Madam Kama” in the film and is a doctor, is also a huge supporter. She was monitoring everyone’s health, including the crew and Randeep, who was losing weight, and taking care of everyone’s medical needs. At the same time, everyone was supportive, including his wife and mother. The team as a whole approved of everything. Because everyone has such energy, everyone was so upbeat.
Between your most recent production, Swatantra Veer Savarkar, and your debut film, Milan Talkies, how have you changed as a person and as an artist?
Check out “Milan Talkies,” “Bhuj: The Pride of India,” “Torbaaz,” and this one. These are the ones that really got me into acting and made it more enjoyable for me. Thus, I’ll have an easy time with the following one. ‘Milan Talkies’ made me feel insecure. That was the first time in my life that I had ever faced a camera. I signed up for Hindi tuition since you offer dialogue and other content in that language. But I’m so pleased with myself after seeing this movie; maybe I’ll become a pro now.

Tell us about your relationship with Randeep Hooda and Sanjay Dutt.
For almost 35 years, my cousin brother and Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) have been close friends. Since I was a little child, I have watched Sanju. I was unaware that he was an actor, but he used to come home and we would hang out. After graduating and travelling back to India, I met Randeep. We connected over horseback riding, even though I had no idea he was an actor when we first met. One day, when we were riding, someone began to take shots of Randeep. I then questioned him, “Who the hell are you?” at that point. Having seen actors put in a tonne of effort, I have the utmost regard for them all. Despite the frequent misconception that this is a scam company, this is a legitimate line of work. People devote their whole lives to films. Because Randeep told us, “I’m not your buddy anymore,” while we were on the set, he performed a very amazing job. Now that I’m the director, you are no longer Jay. You’re Shyamji. He handled things in such a polished manner. We do everything together once he takes cuts, and then we become buddies. However, we were no longer friends on this set.
Do you have any forthcoming projects in the works or have you already committed to any others?
Indeed. Sanju, also known as Sanjay Dutt, has called me lately. “I saw your acting in this movie (SVS), and I’m so impressed and proud of you for the way you did this,” he said. I’ve got a fantastic position for you. Additionally, the director will most likely read the narrative when you are in Mumbai. That will probably be my next endeavour. He was making a historical allusion, although I’m not sure what it is or what type of writing it is. When I get there, it will be a surprise, he remarked. In the next several days, I’ll be in Mumbai, and I’ll solve the problem then.