With a little help from director Tigmanshu Dhulia for his upcoming film 'Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster'

Randeep Hooda has been stuck in the cop-n-gangster mould (counting only his films of note) for quite some time now.

In his latest flick, Tigmanshu Dhulia's Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster changes tracks (if only a wee bit) playing a guitar-strumming gangster.

While most first-time guitarists prefer to learn to strum from trained artistes, the actor took Randeep lessons from his SBAG director.

Says Randeep, "Whatever I know about the guitar, I learned from Tigmanshu, who has great musical sense. I learned the song I was supposed to strum, practising between shots or after pack-up, while chilling, talking and playing.

Tishu (a nickname friends use for the director) would play it a few times and show me the finger movements. I would copy them while he kept watch."

Randeep simply had to appear to know to use the instrument and so would practice at least for an hour daily. "The more I practiced, the better it was. Tishu was confident and pointedly told me to not worry and just relax. I can play the song Chu Chu Chu from SBAG pretty well as also a few other songs."

Randeep says he plays the "Gangster of Love" in SBAG. "I learn to play the guitar to impress my ladylove and serenade many more. My character has an inferiority complex. The guitar is one of the things he tries to hide behind."

NOT JUST GUITARS

The actor's confidence with music doesn't end with stringed instruments. "I can mess around with the horn and saxophone in some interesting ways and a bit on the flute, too. If I was to serenade a woman I don't think the guitar would do it for me right now, but with the sax... well, that's another story. I'm a jazz and blues fan but I enjoy rock a bit as well.