Randeep Hooda has become a borderline alcoholic, thanks to his new film role

It's happened before. Shah Rukh Khan would drink himself silly to play Devdas in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film. But never before has an actor turned alcoholic while doing it for a role.

Randeep Hooda needs medical help to get over his "borderline alchoholism" as he has developed a drinking problem.

So far a social drinker, the role of a drunken cop in Kunal Deshmukh's Jannat 2 has turned his craving for perfection in his acting into a craving for drinks any time of the day.

Says Randeep, "It is alarming when you thirst for a drink at 11 am. I find it disgusting. Initially I was only trying to be true to my character. Now I find the craving has spilled into my real life."

Randeep's predicament reminds him of Meena Kumari in Guru Dutt's Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam. The character started drinking to please her husband and then couldn't kick off the habit.

Laughs Randeep, "Ironically I am not acting tipsy or slurring over my words to play the cop in Jannat 2. I don't want to play the drunken cop as a stereotype. Alcoholics don't slur or stumble all over the place."

Randeep realises he is in the alcoholic danger zone. "I need to discipline myself. I've started diverting my mind from drinks by working-out. The problem is, I am only halfway through the film."

In H-Town...

While playing a sex-crazed writer in TV show Californication, David Duchovny found it difficult to kick his on-screen habit from his real life as well. In fact, the actor was treated for sex addiction at a rehab facility.