Vicky Kaushal is known for his versatility and unforgettable performances. The actor is currently preparing for his upcoming release, Meghna Gulzar’s directorial Sam Bahadur in which he will play the role of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Chief of the Army who led the soldiers during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. For which role Vicky had to go through intense training in order to slip under the skin of the character. Which included the rugged actor spending time with Army personnel. His overall look in the film clearly justifies all the hard work that Vicky did to fit into the shoes of the real life hero. From his dialogue delivery to gestures and body language, those who knew him say that Vicky is the embodiment of Sam Manekshaw. In the countdown to the release of Sam Bahadur on December 1, here’s a

look at some of Vicky’s more commendable transformations over the years in films. 

1. Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) – Few would forget the chiseled look of the actor in the role of Raghavan, the investigating police officer. Vicky had to undergo massive physical transformation to fit into the role. It included losing weight and rigorous training to get into the tough cop shape. The film was directed by Anurag Kashyap and released in June 2016. It featured Nawazuddin Siddique in the lead as a psychopathic killer. 

2. Manmarziyaan (2018) – Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film follows Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) and Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) who fall in love but get caught by Rumi’s parents post which the constant pressure from her family to get married begins to follow the couple. And as Vicky declines to commit, things break between the two. Eventually she understands that he isn’t the one she would like to settle with. For his role, Vicky was the perfect choice. From changing his body language to physical appearance and dialect. He was the careless and egoistic brat who didn’t want to commit to anything to life. Preparing for which the actor admitted having done a lot of hard work as the nature of his role was very different from what he is in real life. 

3. Sanju (2018) – Vicky’s role in the film stood out because even though the actor had limited screen time, he excelled with his performance. He said in an interview that he had to go through a major physical transformation to portray the role of Kamlesh Kanhaiyalal Kapasi in Sanju as he started off playing a young guy and then an aged man as the plot proceeded. And he had to lose and gain weight accordingly. The actor also went to Surat to understand the body language and mannerism of Gujaratis as his character was from this city. Directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, the film released in June of 2018.

4. Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) – The actor portrayed the role of Major Vihaan Singh Shergill who led the Indian Army during the covert operation against the group of militants who attacked Kashmir causing major loss of lives back in 2016. For his role, Vicky had to gain around 15 kg which was a tough task for him as he admitted that he is an ectomorph and it was a real struggle to put on weight. 

5. Sardhar Udham (2021) - Directed by Shoojit Sircar, the film portrayed Vicky in the role of Indian revolutionary Udham Singh. The actor had to lose 15 kg in just 2 months and subsequently gain it back within 2 months. Besides physical transformation, the actor also worked on understanding the mental state of the character to bring him to life on the screen.