# Randeep Hooda says he is more comfortable behind a still camera 2026-08-19T21:28:46+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Actor and director Randeep Hooda says he is more comfortable behind a still camera than in front of one. Speaking on World Photography Day, which falls ahead of his 50th birthday, Hooda said his passion for photography helped him frame shots for his directorial debut Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Debut Director. Hooda said his photography journey began with camera phones, then a complex camera he found discouraging, until wildlife photographer Sarosh Lodhi invited him to Kanha National Park. There he photographed his first tiger, Chota Munna, and was hooked. He now photographs his infant daughter Nyomica almost daily, as well as his parents, so she can see their love when she grows up. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Hooda is one of the few Indian actors to win a National Film Award for direction on debut. His shift from acting to directing mirrors a path taken by several Bollywood stars, but he credits a non-cinematic skill, wildlife photography, for his visual framing. The camera became a tool not for self-portraiture but for documenting jungles and family, a personal archive rather than a public performance. What matters next is whether he directs again, and if his photographic eye becomes a signature in Indian cinema. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Straight interview feature with no political framing, presenting the actor's views verbatim. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Kanha National Park, Randeep Hooda, Sarosh Lodhi, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/randeep-hooda-says-he-is-more-comfortable-behind-a-still-camera/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/randeep-hooda-says-he-is-more-comfortable-behind-a-still-camera/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/