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From the award-winning portrayal of Sanjay Dutt's best friend Kamli in Rajkumar Hirani's Sanju to playing Major Vihan Singh Shergill in Uri: The Surgical Strikes, he has never disappointed us with the choice of his characters. Those who have worked or met him suggest that Vicky dives deep into his characters to make them look realistic on the screen. Now, we will get to see him step into the shoes of the ‘revolutionary’ Sardar Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of Punjab, on March 13, 1940, in London, in retaliation for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.
Here’s the trailer:
I was lucky enough to converse with Vicky Kaushal and understand the process of him becoming Sardar Udham Singh. We also talked about if the character was mentally draining and how difficult it was to play a freedom fighter on the screen.
Excerpts from my interview:Not a lot of people knew or know about Sardar Udham Singh and it’s only after the trailer was dropped, people got interested in the life of the legend. They are also thanking you for bringing the person alive on the screen. How do you react to these positive reactions?
It was lovely to see that people resonated with the trailer. It was very important to see the first sign of positivity from people and we are really glad. I think more than me, it’s Shoojit Sircar to thank, for bringing the story alive. He has been carrying this story with him for almost 21 years. When he came to Mumbai from Delhi, this is the story he wanted to tell but at that time, he didn’t have the resources. There were multiple movies that were made on Shaheed Bhagat Singh so I don’t think it was the right time for him. I was just fortunate to be a part of this movie. I am really glad that people resonated with the integrity and the authenticity of the film.
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Playing a real-life character can be challenging, so did you have any dilemma while picking up the role as it can backfire too?
No, I didn’t have any dilemma when I said yes to doing this role because I was hungry for something like this. It’s always a win-win situation for the actor because it’s a lifetime opportunity to get the role of a freedom fighter and to relive the Indian freedom struggle. This is the opportunity I can take up with my eyes shut but yes, there was a massive sense of responsibility. Like you mentioned not many know of Sardar Udham Singh and there are many such unsung heroes in our freedom movement. The responsibility here is if people do like the film, this is how they are going to remember him. This is the story they will tell to generations ahead of them and this movie will become the face. That’s a big responsibility.
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In one of the interviews, you mentioned that it was very hard for you to recreate the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Can you share a bit more about it?
I think more than recreating it in a logistical way which was also very challenging as you have to get everything right but for me, the toughest part was to get into the headspace and to be in the zone where you are in the midst of bloodshed. I really had to go through what Sardar Udham Singh might have gone through when he was just 19 years old. It was very hard to tell myself that there was a kid who saw all of this and the pain he must have felt. To touch upon these emotional aspects was indeed very difficult and I had sleepless nights thinking about Sardar Udham Singh.
Here's our interview with Vicky Kaushal:
As you just mentioned that you had sleepless nights thinking about Sardar Udham Singh’s pain and anguish, did you ever feel like giving up as it was mentally draining?
I think giving up would be a very strong word. As an actor, I would want to say that what drives us is this process. When you dive deep into the process, this is when you realize that you have to push yourself to a zone where you have to become a different person altogether. You end up feeling everything. You are reacting like someone else and it’s probably the biggest high as an actor. Those are the moments that you live for and you feel validated as an actor. For me, some moments would get too intense and it was difficult to attain that emotional state.
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In literary terms, we often talk about catharsis and I feel actors can create that cathartic effect. From Masaan to Sardar Udham, which is your favourite character that touched you deep down emotionally?
More than saying it's my favourite, I would use the word impactful. It will be Sardar Udham and I have a strong feeling that you would also feel the same. There was a sincere and severe sense of catharsis I felt during the process of shooting the movie and I have a good feeling that people would also feel the same.
Is it hard to detach the character from an actor? What was hard for you in regards to Sardar Udham Singh?
It’s a process. When you know you got to do it, you just empty your cup and then let the cup be filled again. It starts off by reaching out to the character and somewhere midway the character starts coming to you. Then there is a beautiful dance going on between you and the character. Then, you live the character. When the process is over, it takes its own little time to kind of separate from you. It’s in the process that I find joy in. Fame and everything around it is basically the byproduct of this process.
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We wish Vicky Kaushal all the best for his future projects. Have you watched Sardar Udham yet? Do let us know how you liked it in the comments below.
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