My granddad, my hero

Jehan Manekshaw

In an interview with mid-day ahead of Sam Bahadur's release, Vicky Kaushal had mentioned that playing war veteran Sam Manekshaw was "a big opportunity as well as big responsibility" (As soon as I was in uniform, I knew this was it, Nov 29). Four days since the release of the Meghna Gulzar-directed biopic, the actor has been flooded with praise from critics and audiences. The director's attention to detail, coupled with the emotional depth Kaushal brought to the character, have made it one of his most compelling performances so far.

Now, Sam's grandson Jehan Manekshaw too has showered praise on him. When we spoke to Jehan, he applauded Kaushal's dedication, saying, "Through the making, I watched the work Mr Kaushal put into the role, and it paid off. My grandfather had a motto - work hard, play hard. As prep, Vicky worked hard. He put his heart into play-acting my grandfather. It was great seeing him bring the character to life. He did justice to the role."