Randeep Hooda: Being a celeb is secondary in this situation, I want to help people as a human first

Actor Randeep Hooda talks about how the distinction of being a celebrity doesn’t matter in a pandemic like Covid-19 crisis.

Randeep Hooda is strongly against using the term ‘celebrity’ when it comes to or talking about helping people during a crisis.

Actor Randeep Hooda was seen recently in Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai.

“When you say celeb, you’re actually categorising us in a different way. Everybody is human, trying to do what they can,” the actor reasons, adding, “I always believe that speaking about it isn’t enough; you’ve to put yourself in an actual helping position. I’m trying to do whatever I can.”

Seeing so much suffering and anxiety around, Hooda, 44, admits he felt “helpless” as a human being. And that’s when he decided to team up with an NGO to provide oxygen concentrators to those in need, apart from using his social media to amplify SOS requests.

“With Khalsa aid, we’re travelling the country, helping people in these difficult times. I do it because as a human being I feel helpless, and want to contribute towards easing other people’s pain. There are hundreds and thousands of people like me who’ve gone all out and done it,” says Hooda, asserting that being a celebrity is not is a “secondary thing” in such a situation.

Though the second wave of the pandemic is gradually subsiding, Hooda recalls how the country went through an “emergency” situation when “oxygen became more important than food”.

Therefore, for times like these, he stresses, “Every small step counts. We shall overcome this, we should know. There’s help around everywhere, so many people have come out for the sake of humanity, to help their fellow human beings. It’s heartening to see everyone offering help, but also depressing to see the state of people under so much stress.”

Due to the pandemic and subsequent restrictions that led to work being stalled for many months, daily wagers have been worst hit in the entertainment industry. However, Hooda insists that health are life are the most important virtues right now.

“Second is obviously how you keep up eating healthy, and taking care of your family’s needs when work stops. It has been a terrible situation, so one should do as much as they can for people around them,” says the actor, who was recently seen in the film Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai alongside Salman Khan.