Vicky Kaushal Overcomes Self-Doubt to Portray Handsome Sam Manekshaw in Meghna Gulzar’s “Sam Bahadur” Biopic

In a revelation during the trailer premiere event at Mumbai’s Manekshaw Centre, actor Vicky Kaushal shared his initial hesitation about playing the role of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in Meghna Gulzar’s upcoming film, “Sam Bahadur.” Despite concerns about his own attractiveness for the part, Kaushal expressed gratitude to Gulzar for entrusting him with the challenging role.

Kaushal reminisced, “During the shooting of ‘Raazi’ in Patiala, Meghna told me about her plan to make a film on Sam Manekshaw. I secretly Googled him and thought, ‘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.”

The trailer launch event, attended by Army Chief General Manoj Pande, saw the presence of Kaushal’s co-actors Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh, director Meghna Gulzar, and producer Ronnie Screwvala.

“Sam Bahadur” aims to capture Manekshaw’s illustrious 40-year career, featuring pivotal moments such as his service in World War II and leadership during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan conflict, leading to the formation of Bangladesh.

Acknowledging the difficulty of portraying the title role, Kaushal stated, “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.”