As Shershaah completes 2 years, Sidharth Malhotra says 'playing Captain Vikram Batra on screen helped me to live more'

Sidharth Malhotra

Director Vishnu Vardhan's film 'Shershaah' completed two years today. The film that was a tribute to Captain Vikram Batra who was martyred in Kargil War is also the project where Sidharth and Kiara's real-life love story started.

As the film completed two years today, Sidharth Malhotra on Saturday penned a heartfelt note and thanked his fans for accepting him as Captain Virkam Batra. In a Hindi note, the actor wrote, "Very few actors get the opportunity to play a real-life character who is immortal like the sunshine. However, I got this chance. Playing Captain Vikram Batra on screen helped me to live more. I lived his love for the country, his courage, his expertise, and his cheerfulness and finally Shershaah came into the picture."

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The note continued, "Two years ago today you all showered your love to Shershaah. And whenever I remember this date my heart cannot stop but say Yeh Dil Maange More."

Earlier, talking to mid-day.com, producer Shabbir Boxwala spoke about how the film came to him. "A friend had approached me with the story of Vikram Batra and that's how I started my research. Vikram's story was so fascinating- it was a film in itself. From twin brothers to his bravery since childhood, when he got the best opportunity of his life to join the Merchant navy he chose to join the Army. The valour he displayed in Kargil was outstanding and his love story with Dimple was so unique and emotional. I wanted to tell his story to the world although he was already well known in the North, he was already a hero there, having been part of the first televised war."

Further, talking about casting Sidharth, he said, "I had been watching Sidharth since his debut and always liked his work. Having worked with Rajiv Rai, though he had big stars he would cast upcoming actors who suited the part and that's something I believe in too. Vikram's family said their son looked like Akshay Kumar and I said I have someone who I believe has the range of Akshay-Sidharth. After a brief meeting with Sidharth at a Mumbai 5-star, my next step was to make Vikram's family meet him. When Vishal and his dad saw Sidharth they said 'Yeh toh Vikram jaisa lagta hai.' By then Sidharth had flown to Miami for a month to shoot for 'A Gentleman' I went there to discuss the project and he was convinced, promising that 'we will work things out.' Soon enough Karan (Johar) called me up and said he wanted to do the film along with me."