Bollywood's dark horse Randeep Hooda has been experiencing the best phase of his career so far. With his latest flick 'Rang Rasiya', he has got an opportunity to work with eminent filmmaker Ketan Mehta and he confesses that it was a great collaboration with him.

"It was an amazing experience as he has given me the most iconic role of my career. He made me break free from the Haryanvi guy image that I carry. Actually Ketan sir is a brilliant combination of Sufi and Gandhian philosophies. After watching Naseeruddin Shah in 'Mirch Masala', my grandmother asked me not to meet Naseerji as she believed him to be a 'bad man' as portrayed in the movie. That is the magic of Ketan Mehta's works and his faith in his actors. I also knew Ketan sir wouldn't give me much money! And I was so right. (laughs) Also, I know Ketan sir wouldn't have cast me had the movie been made now as he doesn't like 'stars' in his movies."

Further he revealed how difficult it was to play a character that he was completely unaware of but, how the director helped him shape up as an actor. "Ketan sir is a film maker who brings in so much of art and originality to his works that I said 'yes' to him without even asking what was the role and movie was about. Later on as I started learning about the movie, just in my ignorant manner I asked him one day who Raja Ravi Varma was. When I saw Raja Ravi Verma's paintings, I learnt he is the man who gave faces to our Indian gods. During the making of movie, we travelled to Jhansi, Khajuraho, Jaiselmer, Vadodara — and I discovered a totally new India that I hadn't seen before. Doing the film was definitely tough for me as an actor, but with Ketan sir's guidance, the film became an experience I'm going to cherish forever."

The actor was commercially and critically acclaimed for his last releases 'Kick' and 'Highway'.