World Photography Day 2026: Randeep Hooda says photography helped him understand framing while directing Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

Randeep Hooda discusses how wildlife photography shaped his approach to framing and filmmaking, and why he feels photographs have lost value in the smartphone era.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

August 19, 2026 - 3:16 PM IST

For Randeep Hooda, photography has been closely connected with the way he observes the world. His interest in the medium began with his fascination for wildlife and forests, eventually influencing how he approached filmmaking and visual composition. Hooda has often spoken about how photographing nature helped him develop a better understanding of framing. According to the actor-filmmaker, experimenting with composition through a still camera eventually became useful when he stepped behind the camera to direct.

World Photography Day 2026: Randeep Hooda says photography helped him understand framing while directing Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

“The composition that I experiment with on my camera helped me in framing the film shots, from bringing attention to certain parts of the frame to how to make an aesthetic framing,” Hooda said.

His interest in photography developed through his visits to forests, where he initially went simply to experience nature. Over time, carrying a camera changed the way he observed his surroundings. “Earlier I used to go to the jungle and enjoy the beauty. Then I brought a camera,” he recalled.

That experience became particularly relevant when Hooda made his directorial debut with Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. His familiarity with light, composition and visual details through photography helped him approach filmmaking with a more considered eye.

However, Hooda also believes the widespread availability of cameras has changed how photographs are perceived. With smartphones making photography accessible to almost everyone, he feels the sheer volume of images has affected their value.

“Now everybody gets to capture what they like, but the value of a photograph has also diminished because they are available in abundance. The reverence of that one superbly framed shot has become less,” he said.

Despite this, his connection with wildlife photography continues. For Hooda, spending time in nature remains an exercise in observation, where waiting for the right moment and composition can be as important as capturing it.

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