Vicky Kaushal is currently gearing up for the release of his highly-awaited period actioner ‘Chhaava.’ The film will see the actor in a fearless role as he portrays Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who took over the throne after his father’s passing. For the film, the ‘Uri’ actor underwent immense training and even pierced his ear. Kaushal and the film’s director Laxman Utekar wanted the actor’s physique to replicate that of a real warrior. Talking about the film, Kaushal calls ‘Chhaava’ his toughest role to date.
Speaking on Radio Nasha, Vicky shared, “Chhaava has been the toughest role of my life physically and it is because it wasn’t easy to gain 25 kg of muscles. It was very difficult for me. It took me 7 months to gain that. Laxman sir was very clear that till the time you don’t get that look, learn horse riding, complete sword training and acting fighting, I won’t start the film. He told me, ‘I refuse to cheat. I won’t use VFX.’”
He added, “I had to grow my hair, beard, and build the body and that took time before we even began the shooting of the film. If you see 2000 people on set, there were actually 2000 people on set. We had 2000 junior artists, 500 of the best stuntmen of the country. It has been shot in a very raw and gritty way.”
Moreover, taking to Instagram, Vicky Kaushal shared a bunch of behind-the-scenes snapshots of the intense prep work. In the photographs, fans can catch the actor learning how to handle a horse’s reins. Moreover, he flaunts his skills as he wields a stick and effortlessly spins it around. The actor also gave fans a sneak peek into his demanding gym routine and his weight-gain journey for the role. Kaushal penned the caption, “Good old #Chhaava prep days! See you all on 14th Feb. WORLDWIDE ADVANCE BOOKINGS ARE NOW OPEN!”
Meanwhile, during the conversation, Kaushal also talked about Akshaye Khanna playing the role of Aurangzeb. The ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ actor looks almost unrecognizable as he exudes fierceness. “I was shown photos of his look and I was totally surprised and I couldn’t believe it. When I actually saw him in the look on the set, with his demeanour and all, it was incredible. He has almost made the character alive. His evilness will translate so perfectly that people will be surprised.”
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In ‘Chhaava,’ Vicky stars alongside Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna. The highly awaited period film is going to hit theatres on February 14. Moving ahead, the actor also has ‘Love and War’ in the pipeline.