UAE: ‘The most important thing I learned from Sam Manekshaw’s life was his clarity of thought,’ says Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal – News

Creating a biopic requires a delicate balance between artistic interpretation and historical accuracy, where filmmakers and actors not only face the arduous task of showing a significant part of a person’s life in a limited running time, but they can also run the risk of oversimplifying crucial life events. .

In Sam BahadurSet to release on November 30 in UAE cinemas, actor Vicky Kaushal, known for his mesmerizing performances in national award-winning films such as Uri: The surgical strike and Sardar Udham – is taking on this mammoth task along with filmmaker Meghna Gulzar, to tell the lesser-known story of a legendary figure in the history of the Indian Army. Sam Manekshaw (full name: Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw), who served as Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, played a crucial role in India’s victory with a military acumen that gave him It earned the nation wide applause.

On his recent visit to the Khaleej Times office in Dubai, which he reveals was his first real outing upon landing in the city, Vicky Kaushal talks about his return to the Indian ‘military verse’ after Uri in 2019, but this time, through the lens of Manekshaw, the need to draw boundaries when portraying real-life personalities, and the most difficult feature of Manekshaw’s steadfast life to assimilate. Edited excerpts from an interview:

Khaleej Times: Welcome to Dubai. What have you been doing in the city?

Vicky Kaushal: Thank you. There hasn’t been much yet, the press conference and interviews have been held at the hotel. This is my first real outing to the city. I’m excited to visit Khaleej Times office, and I must add that it is a very impressive office space.

KT: What’s your favorite place to hang out in the city?

VK: It sounds cliché, but I love shopping in Dubai. I’m not a shopaholic, but Dubai Mall has something special. It’s very difficult to get out of there. I love its length and the overall experience. It is very unique.

Photo: Shihab/Khaleej Times

KT: Speaking of unique experiences, when you watch the trailer for Sam Bahadur, it is very difficult to find traces of Vicky Kaushal there. You’ve deconstructed your demeanor, tonality, body language and transformed into this completely different personality. How did you find Sam Manekshaw within you?

VK: To be honest, this would not have been possible without the guidance of Meghna Gulzar. He has done a lot of research for this role, it’s incredible. When I joined her, three months before filming, she already had everything organized on the table for me: photographs, videos, books; anything about Sam Manekshaw sir was available to me.

The complicated part was that all of his videos and interviews were after his retirement, when he was over 75 years old. In the film we are covering 40 years of his service in the military, ranging from his 20s to his 60s. So, he had no visual reference of what he was like in those years. We had to rely a lot on the images, on the conversations with his family: his grandson, Jehan Manekshaw, his daughter, Maja Daruwala. It was a very stimulating experience for me as an actor, a great challenge that made me nervous every day during preparation and filming.

KT: What was the most difficult characteristic of Sam Manekshaw to assimilate?

VK: It was his inherent extravagance. There’s one thing about adopting the body language, the tonality in which she would speak, but the inherent quirkiness and spirit that she had was simply the most challenging aspect to assimilate. That arrogance, you can’t put that. You literally have to cultivate that confidence within yourself. Now, looking back, I have no idea how I managed to do that. Let’s see, I can feel many things but the public has to feel the same.

KT: You’ve worked quite a bit with biographical films in Sardar Udhamand then uri, which was also inspired by real-life events. What draws you to telling real-life stories?

VK: Firstly, more than an actor, as an audience member, I am drawn to stories that are rooted in real life and that educate and entertain me about real heroes of my homeland. As an actor, that’s a way I can add some meaning to my work, where it’s not just entertainment, but there’s also some kind of education through the content. There are so many heroic stories hidden in the country, which we don’t even know about and from which we continue to reap benefits. Even two generations after Mr. Sam Manekshaw’s service, we are still reaping the benefits as a nation. Therefore, it is important that these stories come to light so that today’s young people know that men like him have existed and that this is the type of service they have provided to the country.

Still from Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)

KT: What is the biggest challenge in portraying real-life figures as an actor?

VK: It is absolutely necessary to set boundaries when making a biopic because it is a huge responsibility, and especially if it is a biopic of an Indian Army officer, and the most decorated one, it is a huge responsibility. You can’t waste time on that; You can’t be frivolous. And that applies to all departments, not just the actor, the director, the costumer, the production designer: everyone must be authentic to their work. Only when authenticity is respected in all aspects can the film as a whole appear authentic.

KT: How did you muster the courage to show the journey of one of the bravest men in Indian history?

VK: Curiously, through jazz music. When I met his family, I learned that she really liked jazz music. And that became a very meditative process for me and I started to really enjoy it. I remember every day before I went to set, I would sit there and listen to jazz music, which was very new to me, and I would say to myself that this is Sam; Whoever gets out of this truck, it’s going to be Sam.

KT: What is your biggest takeaway from living Sam Manekshaw’s life through this film?

VK: What I take away most from his life is his clarity of thought. Maybe that was what I needed in my life. There are many times when you come across those crossroads where you are confused about which path to take. Sometimes you enter a state of limbo where you are not able to decide what to do next. But Mr. Sam Mankeshaw was that person who always believed that if you want to be a leader, you have to make decisions. Even if it turns out to be the wrong decision, you must own that decision and learn from it. So, I would be in situations where I would really wonder, ‘What would Sam have done?’

KT: What’s next for Vicky Kaushal?

VK: After this, a full-fledged comedy movie will be released in February! It is a Dharma Productions film. And I’m currently filming a period action movie, which will be released late next year.

KT: Doesn’t switching between these types of roles and genders generate an identity crisis for you at all?

VK: (laughs) That’s a part of my job that I absolutely love. Every few months, I am able to understand the perspective of a new human being and live life through that perspective. That is one of the most beautiful things about this profession.

somya@khaleejtimes.com

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