The Challenge About Playing Sam Bahadur

'I'm sandwiched between Katrina's films, which is a great spot to be in.'

"Whenever I work with Meghna, I get to be a better man," Vicky Kaushal says, calling that his biggest takeaway from working with his Raazi Director Meghna Gulzar, who directs him in Sam Bahadur.

The film takes us through four decades of the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who led the Indian Army during the 1971 War, and releases on December 1, a couple of days before the 52nd anniversary of when that conflict began.

Vicky, Sanya Manhotra and Fatima Sana Sheikh tell us more about Sam Bahadur.

Satish Bodas/Rediff.com and Afsar Dayatar/Rediff.com capture moments from the film's trailer launch.

If Vicky wasn't an actor, would he have been a soldier?

The question brings a smile to the actor's lips, and he answers, "I wish there had been an influence in my teenage years that yes, this is also an option.... I would have been a real hero, not a reel hero."

Vicky's Sam Bahadur arrives a week before his wife Katrina Kaif's film Merry Christmas. What are the discussions they have at home regarding their movies?

"She's not just got one film after my film, but she's got one two weeks before my film too," Vicky answers, referring to Katrina's Diwali release, Tiger 3. "So I'm sandwiched between her films, which is a great spot to be in."

Sam Bahadur releases on the same day as Ranbir Kapoor's Animal. What does Vicky feel about his 'clash' with his Sanju co-star? He tells us here.

Fatima Sana Sheikh plays Indira Gandhi, prime minister during the 1971 War, in the film, and she says that she tried to stay true to Meghna's vision.

"I want to be my director's favourite actor, so whatever is written and jis honesty se usko nibhana hai is already written on paper aur woh director ka vision hota hai and I just tried to do that," says Fatima.

Sanya Malhotra plays Siloo Manekshaw, the field marshal's wife, in Sam Bahadur.

Do Fatima and Sanya compete with each other?

Sanya tells us the truth.

How did Vicky get Sam Manekshaw's body language right?

"I hope that after this film releases, I get a special pass into the Parsi community," Vicky says, drawing in laughs.

"The way Parsis have been historically depicted in our films, they're not always like that. Sam Manekshaw was not like that either. We have caricaturised Parsis in our films, but not here," Meghna adds.

Vicky shares the trickiest part of playing arguably independent India's most famous general, the first field marshal in the Indian Army.