For her next directorial, Meghna Gulzar is all set to bring alive the life of Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw. And the film will be starring none other than the Uri actor Vicky Kaushal. Remembering Manekshaw on his death anniversary, Vicky shared a montage of rare black and white images of the Field Marshal along with a picture of himself from the film, bearing striking resemblance to the former.
Captioning the video, Vicky wrote, “Remembering one of India's finest- Field Marshal #SamManekshaw. This journey is going to be very special!”
The makers have corrected an error in the uniform that was pointed out a year back when a similar look of Vicky had been shared.
At that time Army war veteran Syed Ata Hasnain, who served with Sam Manekshaw, had pointed out an error in the uniform Vicky was sporting. He tweeted,”"Woukd love it if consulted. Lt Gen Deepinder Singh, his MA, is there to give everything on him. Vicky Kaushal, for starters, is wearing the wrong colour badges of rank. Sam was a Gurkha, never wore brass, always black badges. I am proud to wear that too being a Garhwali Bhulla (sic).”
Later, Ashoke Pandit had clarified that Meghna was not consulted over the picture. He had said, “She is an extremely responsible and accomplished filmmaker. Her films Talvar and Raazi prove her to be much more than a frivolous entertainer. If she has taken on the task of putting Field Marshall’s Manekshaw’s story on the screen, she would make sure she has all the research in place and she would most definitely consult the army experts on the uniform, etc.”
He further added, “Especially, when you’re playing someone of the stature of Field Marshall Manekshaw or Mother Teresa. You can’t afford to go wrong on any detail. I am sure Vicky was only trying to tell the world he’s playing Manekshaw. But, even an announcement of this import must be made with befitting solemnity and accuracy. Copying the moustache and the posture from an old picture are not enough.”
The film will be written by Bhavani Iyer (Raazi) and Shantanu Srivastava (Badhaai Ho), and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. It will go on floors in 2021.
Sam Manekshaw was an Indian military officer during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. Born to Parsi parents, Sam grew up in Punjab. After his brave and courageous handling of situations during the 1971 war, Sam Manekshaw was promoted to the rank of a field marshal by Indira Gandhi. He was later appointed as the Chief of the Defence Staff. He died on 27 June 2008 in Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
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