Vicky Kaushal in the trailer of the film. (Courtesy: YouTube)
Vicky Kaushal's Sam Bahadur released in theatres today and the film has been receiving praise from critics and audience alike. Vicky Kaushal plays the titular role of India's first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw. Apart from industry friends of Vicky Kaushal, the film moved Sam Manekshaw's daughter Maja Daruwala to tears. Maja Daruwala was present in the audience at The Indian Express' Adda with director Meghna Gulzar and Vicky Kaushal. She said at the event, "They have made the film to make the country proud of whatever it was. But, the time that I tear up, every time, I've seen the film twice now and I teared up both times, is the last two seconds of the film when you turn to the audience and you're smiling. That just kills me every time." The video was shared by a fan page on Twitter. Take a look:
Vicky Kaushal has been receiving praise from friends, colleagues and of course, his family members. Vicky Kaushal received a sweet note from Manmarziyaan co-star Abhishek Bachchan. He wrote on X, "Saw #SamBahadur last night. The enormity of all that #FieldMarshalSamManekshaw did and achieved is overwhelming! And so beautifully told on celluloid by my favourite @meghnagulzar. It's a huge responsibility to portray one of India's greatest sons and she does it wonderfully. To...the entire cast and crew, you should be very proud and thank you for telling this story. @fattysanashaikh @sanyamalhotra07.My veerey, @vickykaushal09, what do I even say about you... you continue to set the bar so high for all of us and then so effortlessly jump over it as only Sam can. All I can say is "Well done, sweety." Take a look at the post here:
Katrina Kaif also gave a shout out to Vicky's performance. She wrote in an Instagram post, "Maghna Gulzar, such a poetic beautiful classic film, was transported to another era .. you can see your passion to telling his story and attention to detail in every shot."
She then went on to review her husband Vicky Kaushal's performance and wrote, "And SAM !!!!.....GRACE, HEROISM , GRIT. What a performance, flawless, I'm just astounded , you are too inspiring , true to your craft in the most brilliant integral way , was so proud to watch you shine your way across the screen . I've seen you this last year pour yourself into this film and transform into sam. A performance to be remembered." Take a look at the post here:
Sam Bahadur opened to stellar reviews. In his review for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee wrote, "One of the most striking aspects of Sam Bahadur is that it eschews flag-waving militarism while celebrating the bravery of India's soldiers. It treads gently and thoughtfully through the life-threatening minefields that infantrymen have to negotiate in the line of duty. There are battle scenes and punchlines aplenty in the film, but they do not overshadow the less flashy components with which the lively biopic is constructed."