Vicky Kaushal And His Intense Transformation For 'Chhaava' (Image-X/maddockfilms)
Vicky Kaushal is gearing up for his next release, Chhaava, the historic film portraying the life of legendary Maratha King, Chhatrapathi Sambhaji Maharaj.
Chhaava, directed by Laxman Utekar, is an adaptation of Shivaji Sawant’s Marathi novel Chhava. It narrates the story of the valour, courage, and vengeance of the king Chhatrapathi Sambhaji Maharaj. The production of Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films is all set to amaze audiences on February 14.
From entertaining the audience with his electrifying moves in Tauba Tauba to portraying a legendary king on screen, Vicky Kaushal has undergone immense transformation, or as he puts it, “a DNA transplantation.” So let’s take a look at the Bad Newz actor’s journey of conversion from an actor to the character—Chhatrapathi Sambhaji Maharaj.
Understanding the History and the Character
Vicky Kaushal on understanding the history and the character.
In order to portray the legendary character, the actor prepared himself by understanding the history and the culture. He said the preparation was all about learning the history, Sanskrit, values, culture and everything around the character. Instead of just reading books, the actor also engaged himself in discussing the character with director Laxman. Vicky said that Laxman “would feed me information, not just from the novel but from the entire era, culture, and what life must have been like for these figures.”
Read Also: Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava Faces CBFC Edits: Board Suggests To Mute Cuss Words
The Physical Transformation
Vicky Kaushal’s preparation days of ‘Chhaava.’
Portraying a renowned king from the 17th century needed an intense physical transformation for the actor. Vicky gained around 25 kg of weight with intense and rigorous training. Since the story demands authentic action sequences, the actor dedicated months to training himself and getting into the discipline. Seven months prior to the shooting of the film, the actor got himself into the routine of going to bed by 8:30 pm and waking up by 4 am.
Learning new skills
Vicky’s horse riding training.
Apart from learning history, the actor also trained himself in horse riding and sword fighting to ensure the authenticity of the character. Vicky took a whole 7 months to prepare himself for the character and to get trained with the necessary skills.
The preparation to get into the character
Vicky Kaushal’s multiple facets of portraying Chhatrapathi Sambhaji Maharaj
Beyond the physical demands, the actor also immersed himself in understanding the historical and cultural depth of his character. On portraying a historic character, he also said that it was not just about wearing costumes but feeling the intensity of the situation. As per Vicky, beyond learning the history, absorbing the essence of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s life and values helped him portray the character confidently on the screen. He also remarked that listening to Marathi songs helped him to get into the character.
Read Also: AR Rahman’s ‘Aaye Re Toofan’: Tribute To The Unyielding Spirit Of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj
The Third Biopic of Vicky Kaushal
Vicky Kaushal’s biographical films—Sardar Udham and Sam Bahadur.
Vicky Kaushal is known for portraying biopic films and excelling in his layered performances. The actor has previously delivered two biopics, namely Sardar Udham (2021) and Sam Bahadur (2023). All three characters he portrayed, including Chhaava, were unwavering patriots. Interestingly, these characters have taken him to different eras of history, with Sam Bahadur set in the 1970s, Sardar Udham in 1919, and Chiranjeevi Parashurama in his upcoming Mahavatar portraying the mythological era.
