Vicky Kaushal to play Sam Manekshaw in Meghna Gulzar's next

Vicky Kaushal will star in Meghna Gulzar’s upcoming biopic on Sam Manekshaw. A military legend, Sam Manekshaw was India's Chief of the Army Staff during the Indo-Pak war of 1971 and became the first Indian officer to hold the rank of a field marshal. His military career traverses the Second World War, The Indo-Pakistan War of 1947, The Indo-Sino War and the Bangladesh Liberation War. He passed away aged 94 in Chennai and is eulogized by his moniker Sam Bahadur.

The biopic is scripted is written by Bhavani Iyer and Shantanu Shrivastava along with Meghna. The shooting is expected to begin late next year.

Speaking about the project, producer Ronnie Screwvala, who also bankrolled Uri: The Surgical Strike starring Vicky, said, “Sam Manekshaw's name will be etched in history as one of the greatest soldiers and minds India has ever seen. Young India desperately needs role models to look up to, needs to be educated on the contribution made by this icon to India.”

Meghna, who had previously directed Vicky in Raazi (2018), shared her excitement. “This film has been brewing between RSVP and me for some time now. With Vicky now coming on board to play Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, it has begun to simmer.”

Vicky added, “It’s an absolute honour for me to be getting the opportunity to portray the life of Sam Manekshaw. Reuniting with Ronnie and Meghna feels like home because of the tremendous comfort level we share. We are thrilled to bring forward the story of this fearless patriot.”