Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 21 (ANI): Randeep Hooda took a stroll down memory lane and recalled collaborating with Imtiaz Ali on 'Highway', which also starred Alia Bhatt.

Expressing gratitude to Imtiaz, Randeep, in a press note, shared, 'Highway is such a classic because it's a journey and that too of love. A pure love that is doomed by the class divide in our country. It's just not acceptable in our society. Though Veera being innocent about it wants it but Mahabir knowing the reality resists, only to finally give in and pay the price with his life. Highway is a movie where 'living the part' started to take some tangible shape for me. I'm really grateful to Imtiaz for letting that happen to me. It did spill over to my life as well at that time and maybe Mahabir still lingers within me.'

He added, 'It was a very depressing and bitter state of mind. In those days I lived it more off camera and than what was captured. Over the years I'm still learning to have more translate on camera and have less affliction of that in one's real life.'

Released 11 years ago, 'Highway' projected the ideas of 'bondage' and 'freedom' in a fresh light. Alia played a Delhi girl from a rich household, who gets abducted by Hooda, a Haryanvi truck driver in the film.

Meanwhile, Randeep has teamed up with director Sam Hargrave once again for Apple Original Films' upcoming action thriller 'Matchbox', alongside John Cena.

This is his second collaboration with the director after the success of their 2020 Netflix hit, 'Extraction'.The live-action film, which is inspired by Mattel's popular Matchbox toy vehicle line, will also feature Hollywood stars Teyonah Parris, Jessica Biel, and Sam Richardson. Production is currently underway in Budapest, according to Variety.

The film is directed by the 'Avengers: Endgame' and 'Extraction 2' fame director Hargrave and is written by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper. It is being produced by Skydance's David Ellison and Dana Goldberg, along with Mattel Films' Don Granger and Robbie Brenner. (ANI)