PremiumVicky Kaushal recalls deep-diving into Sam Bahadur: 3 months before the shoot, Meghna Gulzar and I would meet for 5-7 hours for prep
Vicky Kaushal unveils his journey of preparation and dedication to get into the skin of his role as Sam Manekshaw.
Last Updated: 08.26 PM, Nov 07, 2023
The Sam Bahadur trailer is out, and we can say easily that Vicky Kaushal is delivering a performance that's going to be unforgettable for years to come. The actor has effortlessly gotten into the skin of his character, playing the titular role of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in the Meghna Gulzar film. At the trailer launch event held in Delhi, Vicky spoke at length about how, for about three months, he prepared for the role so that he could get on the set and be Sam Manekshaw instantly.
Vicky Kaushal's intensive three-month preparation
At the event, the actor revealed, "The thing is, when you are in the thick of the storm of preparing for a character, sometimes you don't realise all the things that you are doing. But the things that I can remember, of course, went on how he would walk, talk, how much he would bend, and then sit everything in every scene. Three months before we started shooting, Meghna and I would sit for like five to seven hours together and just read the script over and over again, watch his videos, read about him, and just discuss Sam for five to six hours every day. No Sundays, no off days, nothing!"
However, recalling an incident, Vicky went on to share, "There was one off day, I remember, where she was not feeling well, and that too, there was a three-hour Zoom call that happened where we would just be discussing, and in my bedroom, I would walk like Sam, and she would look at me through the Zoom call. There was constant prep so that by the time we went on floors, it's second nature; it's an impulse to me as to how Sam would walk and talk. But then that was just a surface, which was a lot of fun."
Comprehensive approach to capturing Sam Manekshaw's spirit
The National Award-winning actor added, "To catch the spirit and mindset of the man that came with a lot of reading about him and meeting the family members who were really helpful and very sweet. Everything put together kind of gave us—this could be our Sam Manekshaw, and this is our best foot forward and best efforts to play the man. Overall, it was just getting the spirit of the man, which we were trying to catch in every scene and every line."
Sam Manekshaw also stars Sanya Malhotra as Siloo Manekshaw and Fatima Sana Shaikh as the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The much-awaited biopic is slated to release on December 1, 2023.