Vicky Kaushal to start shooting for Manekshaw biopic in 2021

Vicky Kaushal will start shooting for Meghna Gulzar's upcoming film, based on the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, in 2021.

Vicky, in a recent press interaction, said that it's an absolute honour to be getting the opportunity to portray the first Field Marshal of India."He is a true legend that this country has produced. It's an honour of the highest order for me to get an opportunity to play the part of Field Marshal Manekshaw. I am excited for that film," he said.

"At the moment, I am focusing on Sardar Udham Singh. We will start shooting for first Field Marshal's biopic in 2021. I will try to go as close to the character as possible in terms of looks," he said.

Field Marshal Manekshaw, or Sam Bahadur as he was popularly known, was born on April 3, 1914, in Amritsar.

He cheated death on a number of occasions, both on the battlefield and away from it. He lived on to be a nonagenarian dying in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, on June 27, 2008. The Field Marshal led the country to victory against Pakistan in 1971.

"My mother and father belong to Punjab. They closely followed the 1971 war between India and Pakistan. At that time, Indira Gandhiji and Sam Manekshaw used to deliver speeches on the radio to embolden people. When I heard his story for the film, I was really blown away," said the actor.

Vicky's last film Uri: The Surgical Strike did well at the box-office. He will also be seen in Shoojit Sircar's Sardar Udham Singh.

On so many patriotic films in his kitty, the actor said, "When you choose a story to do a film, you don't see whether it's a patriotic film or some other kind of film. If a story connects with you, then you want to be a part of it.

"It was my dream to work with Shoojit Sircar and I got an opportunity. I am glad that it's a film based on life of Udham Singh. It's a big honour at the same time a big responsibility to play this role. We are resuming shooting in October and I am excited for that process to start."

In Sardar Udham Singh, Vicky will be seen as Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O' Dwyer, former lieutenant governor of Punjab, in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919. Singh was tried and hanged in July 1940.

On romantic roles, the actor said, "I really want to do such films. Whenever I will get a good offer, I will definitely do it. The audience will see me romancing on the screen because there are romantic angles in every film, but I can't tell what will be the extent of it," he said.