When Vicky Kaushal thought he would not get 'Sam Bahadur' role

Vicky Kaushal, who will next be seen in Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Sam Bahadur’, said initially he didn’t feel he was good looking enough for the titular role in the film.

Vicky plays Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in the film. At the film's trailer launch event held at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi on November 7, Vicky said, "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.”

When Vicky tought he would not get the role
Vicky shared, "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 will not get this role.' But I have to thank Meghna for giving me the role of this handsome person.”

The trailer launch was attended by Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh, director Gulzar and producer Ronnie Screwvala.

The film spans 40 years of Manekshaw's life, from fighting in World War II to being the Chief of Army Staff during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, that led to the creation of Bangladesh, makers said.

'Playing Sam Bahadur was toughest'
Kaushal also said that playing this role was toughest for him. "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," he said.