‘I get Drawn Towards Real Heroes’: VICKY KAUSHAL
What is the fascination with biopics? From Shaheed Udham to Sam Bahadur and now Chhaava. What draws you to the space, since it is not easy to portray the life of another and also give it your distinctiveness?
It is a love story. To be very honest, it’s very organic from my side. I tend to get drawn towards real heroes. As an actor in that process, I get to give something back to society. Some characters from our rich history are unsung and are probably not celebrated beyond a region or a cultural diaspora. I could fail, I could pass, but I will do my best to get attached to those stories and bring them forward.
Apart from your amazing body transformation, what was the preparation to make Sambhaji Maharaj as believable as you have?
The major aspect for me, which was time-consuming, was the physicality. Laxman Utekar, the director, was strict about three aspects before starting filming. The first one was for me to look the part. He wanted me to look like a beast, as I am shown fighting a lion in the film. Second was horseback riding. He was clear that he wouldn’t compromise or cheat. The action sequences of me on the horse had to be done by me, and the third was the action itself.
On the one hand, there is the star quotient and fandom, but on the other, you are the typical boy next door. What is it like to be Vicky Kaushal?
I might sound philosophical, but I truly feel that whatever the tags prefixed to your name, whether it is star, superstar, or megastar, you can earn them but never own them. These are given to you and can be taken away as well, and life is about all that is put together. My job is to keep concentrating on how Chhaava is doing, and then on the next role I take up. I guess one should take everything with a pinch of salt.
