Mumbai, Jan 9 : Actor Randeep Hooda says staying connected to oneâ??s roots has always guided his personal and professional journey. He feels that language and culture are not barriers but powerful strengths that shape perspective and identity.

â??Iâ??ve always believed in embracing your roots as we move forward with time. For me, language and culture are not limitations, they are strengths that shape who we are and how we see the world,â?? Randeep told IANS.

The actor is associating himself with a platform that is focused on Haryanvi, Rajasthani and Bhojpuri storytelling.

He added: â??The stories that stay with us the longest are the ones that sound familiar, feel lived-in, and come from a place of truth. Associating with storytelling that honours regional languages and cultural identity feels deeply personal to me, because it reflects the values Iâ??ve always carried with me.â??

In other news, Randeep and his wife Lin Laishram are all set to welcome their first bundle of joy. They took to Instagram on November 29 when they made the announcement.

In a joint post, they wrote: "Two years of love, adventure, and nowâ?¦ a little wild one on the way (Tiger Face, red heart and infinity emojis)."

Randeep and Lin first met at veteran star Naseeruddin Shahâ??s theatre group Motley. Eventually, having fallen for one another, the lovebirds started living together during the lockdown. They made their relationship Instagram official back in 2022. The couple finally tied the knot on November 29, 2023, in a traditional Meitei ceremony in Manipur.

On the acting front, Randeep was last seen in the Sunny Deol-starrer action filmâ??Jaatâ??. He will next be seen in the epic war drama â??Operation Khukri.â??

Randeep has secured the official movie rights to â??Operation Khukri: The Untold Story of the Indian Armyâ??s Bravest Peacekeeping Mission Abroadâ?? by Major General Rajpal Punia, and Damini Punia.

The film â??Operation Khukriâ?? will bring to screen the harrowing real-life events from 2000, when 233 Indian soldiers were held hostage by rebel forces in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and the subsequent high-risk rescue mission that followed.

The actor will portray Major General Raj Pal Punia (then a young Company Commander of the 14th Mechanised Infantry), who navigated both the tense standoff and the extraordinary rescue operation amid challenging jungle warfare conditions.

/IANS