The teaser of the upcoming biopic ‘Sam Bahadur’, which stars Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal in the titular role of India's legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, was unveiled on Friday. The teaser lives up to the hype as the ‘Sardar Udham’ alum perfectly dons the look and mannerisms of India's war hero.
The teaser shows a very high production quality, though mostly it focuses on Sam Manekshaw’s days as General in the Indian Army before his promotion to the rank of Field Marshal.
There are several shots which showcase the Indian Army’s fight with the Pakistani Army during all the wars from 1947 to 1971. In addition, there are snippets of Sam Manekshaw’s own time as a soldier during World War II, where he was part of the British Indian Army.
There are several great dialogues presented in the trailer, one of which is: “For a soldier, their loyalty to the nation and uniform comes first. Honour of this uniform is more important than life, and when the time comes, we must be willing to sacrifice our lives to defend it.”
Some of the other great lines which the 'five-star general' actually said include what he once told Prime Minister Indira Gandhi just a year before the 1971 India-Pakistan war, also known as the Bangladesh Liberation war.
Bangladesh was then called East Pakistan and saw thousands of refugees pouring into West Bengal during Operation Searchlight, where the Pakistan Army under the leadership of the infamous General Tikka Khan committed genocide of Bengalis. During this time, Indira Gandhi had asked Sam Manekshaw to lead the Indian Army to instill military rule.
However, Sam Manekshaw declined and told her what is shown in the teaser: “My soldiers are trained and conditioned to fight on the battlefield, we will do that. You are trained and conditioned for politics, you handle it.”
The last line, however, is probably the best one when addressing the former PM’s comment that a soldier’s duty is to lay their life for the country, the Field Marshal counters it and says: “With due respect ma’am, a soldier’s job is to kill the enemy to achieve victory.”
With some stellar production and praiseworthy set design, VFX, acting, and overall aesthetic to suit historical authenticity, ‘Sam Bahadur’ teaser lives up to expectations. Starring Vicky Kaushal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Sanya Malhotra in lead roles, the movie is directed by Meghna Gulzar and will hit theatres on December 1, 2023.
