Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal shared that he started preparing for the biopic Sam Bahadur. The biographical drama directed by Meghna Gulzar is based on the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
He shared a picture of the script on Instagram and wrote: "Here we go... Prep starts".
On the birth anniversary of the late Field Marshal, Kaushal had shared a video on Instagram to reveal the name of the movie. He said he grew up hearing stories about Sam Bahadur from his parents. "When I read the script, I was completely blown away. He is a hero and patriot who is still remembered and loved to this day. Capturing his spirit in the film is of the highest importance to me".
Kaushal's parents are from Punjab and have seen the 1971 war.
This will be the second collaboration between Gulzar and Kaushal after the successful 2017 film Raazi. The script of Sam Bahadur is by Bhavani Iyer, who worked on Raazi as well. Gulzar and Badhaai Ho! fame writer Shantanu Srivastava also worked with Iyer.
Meghna Gulzar said Sam Manekshaw was "a soldier's soldier and a gentleman's gentleman". "They don't make men like Sam Bahadur anymore. I'm so honoured to be telling his story with (producer) Ronnie Screwvala and the incredibly talented Vicky Kaushal," said the filmmaker.
Manekshaw's wife Silloo will be played by Sanya Malhotra. Another much-anticipated appearance will be made by Fatima Sana Shaikh who will essay the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Manekshaw is the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal. He started his career in the British Indian Army in World War II and spanned four decades including five wars.