At the trailer launch event of Sam Bahadur, Vicky Kaushal admitted that he was taken aback by Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw’s good looks and joked that he initially felt that he wasn’t handsome enough to play him on screen.
The much anticipated trailer of Vicky Kaushal’s upcoming film Sam Bahadur was recently unveiled in the presence of the film’s cast and Army Chief General Manoj Pande at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi. At the event, Vicky who plays the role of India’s First Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw in the film spoke at length about the film.
The actor shared that Meghna Gulzar had expressed her aspiration to create a biopic on Sam Manekshaw when they were filming Raazi in Patiala in 2018.
Vicky told reporters, “I remember when Meghna and I were working on Raazi, then during a shooting schedule in Patiala she told me what she wanted to do next. And she said she wants to make a film on Sam Manekshaw.”
The actor said that since both of his parents hail from Punjab, he had heard a great deal about Sam Manekshaw, although he was unfamiliar with the Field Marshal’s appearance.
Vicky mentioned, “My mother and father are both from Punjab, and through them, I had heard a lot about him. But I didn’t know how he looked. So during that conversation, I secretly Googled him and saw his photo. I said, ‘He is very handsome and I will not get this role.’ But I have to thank Meghna for giving me the role of this handsome person.”
Further, Vicky admitted that playing the titular role in Sam Bahadur wasn’t an easy feat for him.
Explaining the reason behind the same, he said, “It is the toughest role of my life, not because of the way he talked and walked but because of the man he was. This was an attempt to live that life. It is obviously a team effort.”
Vicky revealed that while playing Sam Bahadur, his attempt with the character was to bring out his compassionate nature on the big screen.
“In one of his interviews, he was asked about the biggest achievement of his career of 40 years. And he said, ‘In my career, from second lieutenant to field marshall, I have never punished a soldier.’ And that compassion, especially when you have all the power and strength, and feeling for every jawan is what made him a hero to me. That swag, style and charisma was there but at the end that heart was also there. He had a compassionate heart and that is what I was trying to aim for,” the actor shared with the media.
Vicky revealed that as a part of the preparation for his role, he had to work on the physical aspects of his character but his aim was to capture its spirit.
The actor explained, “Sometimes when you’re playing, you don’t realise the things that you are doing. Of course, I remember how he walked and talked, how much he would bend and sit. Before we started shooting, Meghna and I spent at least five hours every day for three months reading, watching his interviews and discussing Sam.”
He continued, “To catch his spirit, mindset and strength of the man, it came with a lot of reading and meeting his family members, who were really helpful. After all this, we put together and thought this is our Sam Manekshaw.”
Further, Vicky also talked about reuniting with his ‘Raazi’ director Meghna Gulzar. He said they developed a level of trust during that film and nothing has changed since then.
The ‘Sardar Udham’ actor said, “Meghna is home for me… I have such a bond with her that it feels like a film… I trust her instincts and judgment…. She makes a film on paper and then goes on the floor.”
Sam Bahadur also features Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh in pivotal roles.
