I thought Highway call was a joke: Randeep Hooda

Actor Randeep Hooda thought someone was playing a prank on him when he first got a call from Imtiaz Ali’s office, offering him Highway.

Actor Randeep Hooda, who has worked with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali for the first time in the upcoming film, Highway, thought that somebody was playing a prank on him when he first got the call to do the film.

“I got a call from Imtiaz’s assistant director but I thought it was a joke and didn’t bother to follow up or call back. But after few days, I was approached by the film’s casting director. That was when I realised that I was being offered the film for real.”

The 37-year-old actor is all praises for the filmmaker. “Apart from being a great director, Imtiaz is an ­extremely nice guy too. He instilled a lot of trust in me,” Hooda says.

“I think Imtiaz is a ­combination of a diligent school boy and a sufi artist. He feels the same emotions that his actors go through ... he suffers with his actors,”he adds.

Hooda stars alongside Alia Bhatt and plays a truck ­driver in the film. About working with Alia, 20, in the film, Hooda says, “It was ­wonderful working with her. I have already worked with many of Alia’s family ­members, including her father (filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt), her sister (actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt) and her uncle (filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt). She is an extremely intelligent girl who has a long way to go. She is very mature for her age.”

“I am looking forward to working with Salman as he has always inspired me. Though we haven’t been in touch for some time, I ­consider him a friend... I have a soft corner for him,” he says.