Chandigarh, February 06 : Actor Vicky Kaushal, who is gearing up for the release of his film Chhaava, has shared how he prepared for the role of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The movie has been directed by Laxman Utekar. Produced under the banner of Maddock Films, Chhaava is a period drama that portrays the legendary story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, played by Vicky Kaushal. The film is set to depict the courageous Maratha ruler’s legendary reign, beginning with his coronation in 1681.
During the film’s promotion in Jaipur, Vicky said, “A biopic needs a lot of preparation work not only for an actor, but for the entire team. Working on a historical subject is really challenging because of the huge budget required for creating a different era on screen. We have tried to make it as realistic as possible,” he said. “As an actor, the preparation is not only physical but also mental. There was action training, bodybuilding training and also research on the history, as it was important to understand that period,” he added.
The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna. Vicky recalled how during the shooting of Zara Hatke Zara Bachke director Laxman Utekar told him about the film. “He told me this would be our other film. I had read about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in history books, so got very excited about the project. But I needed to do more research to know finer details. I never played the character of a fighter before and there was an emotional connection. Moreover, I had never done a historical film.” Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is a 2023 film starring Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan.
Chhaava is touted to be a ‘stirring tale of the courageous warrior whose coronation in 1681 marked the beginning of a legendary reign’. He continued, “Laxman sir showed me a sketch and I said ‘he looked like a lion’. He said ‘I want a lion’. I needed time, so we took seven months in which I gained 25 kg, learned horse-riding and sword-fighting, and then when he was satisfied finally, we started shooting. So, overall it took four years to complete this film.” The movie is slated for release in theatres on February 14.
Summary: Vicky Kaushal shares insights into his rigorous training and deep research to portray Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Chhaava, promising an authentic and powerful performance.