‘My success came step by step’
By Neeraj Nanda
Melbourne, 28 February: Randeep Hooda, Bollywood star and former Melbournian feels “ success is relative” and his own success “is tip of the iceberg” coming “step by step”. He was addressing a select community gathering at the Thornbury Theatre, organized by (Alok Kumar & Aakash Kumar) with SAPAC.
Randeep launched and released the logo of ‘Nobody Dies Hungry’ organization being promoted by the Kumar Brothers (Alok Kumar and Aakash Kumar) of Thornbury Theatre, to help underprivileged people and kids in India. This winter the organization has distributed Quits to the needy to beat the winter chill.
“There is no shortcut to hard work, every role I get I go into a long confusion and then work hard on it, “ he said.
Randeep, who was felicitated by the SAPAC for his contribution to cinema and social causes, nostalgically described his five years in Melbourne as a student and resident struggling to make ends meet. He fondly detailed his experiences in Melbourne as a cabbie, restaurant worker and an Optus agent going door to door.
“This is how I became an Aussie and, he says, and still have lots of Australia in me.”
“The biggest strength of this rainbow country is its multiculturalism. As a cabbie people talked to me interesting topics and I played music for them. It was a great journey to Australia”, he said.
On a question by SAT, Hooda said, “his upcoming movie, Sarbjit, is about an Indian prisoner who spent 22 years in a Pakistani prison and was killed by ‘fellow inmates’ after the hanging of Mumbai attack accused Kasab. “
The message of the movie is he said, “ We are all human beings”.
Danielle Green, federal MP called Hooda “the Indian Crocodile Dundee” and Mayor Jennifer while welcoming Hooda said, “ We need to have more Asian content on Australian TV.”
Others who spoke on the occasion included Dr. Shahbaz Chaudhury, Manoj Kumar, and Oscar Yildiz.
Randeep Hooda also accepted the proposal to become the International Ambassador for ‘Bully Australia Zero’.
The event concluded with a lively Q-A session where Hooda also spoke in his native Haryanavi language and was able to connect with some of his old contacts in Melbourne, which included Chef Anand Tandon in whose restaurant he had once worked.
Kaushalya Vaghela, Secretary SAPAC handled the function ably as Emcee and stage coordinator.
– SAT News Service.
