Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 2 (ANI): Actor Randeep Hooda on Saturday remembered Sarabjit Singh on his death anniversary with an emotional note, saying the story of the late farmer-turned-prisoner continues to stay with him years after the film.

Randeep, who played Sarabjit in the 2016 biopic Sarbjit, shared that what started as work for a role slowly turned into something much deeper for him. In his social media post, the actor spoke about how the journey of playing Sarabjit changed him as a person.

The film 'Sarbjit' told the story of an Indian farmer from Punjab who accidentally crossed the border into Pakistan and spent over two decades in prison. Apart from Randeep, the film also starred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Richa Chadha and Darshan Kumar in key roles.

Sharing how the role went beyond acting and became a 'deeper' and emotional experience, Randeep wrote, 'Dear Sarabjit, Your story changed me. What began as preparing for a film, became something much deeper. Through you, I felt pain, silence, courage, and hope. Being you taught me the true meaning of freedom, loss, and the strength of a family that never stopped believing.'

The actor also spoke about the loss of Sarabjit's close family members over the years. Remembering them with a sense of 'quiet' reflection, he added, 'Since then, we have also lost, the sister who fought for you with the world, Dalbir Kaur ji and your wife, Sukhpreet ji. But your legacy lives on through your wonderful daughters, Swapandeep and Poonam, who today have families of their own and are living full, settled lives. In that, perhaps, there is a quiet kind of peace, something every family that has endured pain deserves.'

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Randeep further shared that even after all these years, the story has not left him. Calling it something that stayed with him 'forever,' he wrote, 'Years have passed, but your story still stays with me. Some characters leave when the film ends. You never did. Remembering you today with respect and a heavy heart. You will never be forgotten.' (ANI)