Vicky Kaushal on maintaining work-life balance during ‘Chhaava’: Katrina was kind, sweet & patient

Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal on Tuesday said his wife, actor , , was kind and supportive during the filming of his upcoming movie “Chhaava” as she understood that certain performances require mental and emotional space.

Directed by Laxman Utekar, “Chhaava” will see Kaushal in the role of Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was the son of Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is produced by Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films.

For Kaushal, the movie marks the third time he is stepping into the shoes of a historical character, after playing revolutionary Udham Singh in “Sardar Udham” and India’s first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in “Sam Bahadur”.

“I have done biopics before, and each comes with its own responsibility. But with this character, there is a deep sense of faith attached, and you cannot take liberties with that. Fortunately, Dinoo sir and Laxman sir had enough time to research.

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“It’s an intense character and when you will see the film, you will know it’s not easy to be a character like that,” the 36-year-old actor told reporters.

Kaushal was speaking at a promotional event for the movie in the national capital. He was joined by Utekar, co-star Rashmika Mandanna and producer Vijan.

The actor said he usually doesn’t bring his characters home but during the making of “Chhaava”, there were moments where he became quieter as his mind was still processing the role.

“There were intense scenes, sometimes there were action scenes. So, once you are home after 12 hours of shooting, you just fall on the bed. Whatever time was there for personal life, it was little.

“Katrina being from the same industry, she understands that when intense parts like these are there, then some space is required. So, she was very kind, sweet and patient. I don’t bring the characters home but I used to get a bit quiet because the mind is in that zone, it keeps on going what I did today and what I will do tomorrow. Otherwise, there was not much difference. Everything was pretty normal,” he said.

Kaushal said it is unfortunate that though people know a lot about Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, many are not aware about his son, Sambhaji.

“Everyone knows about him (Shivaji) but not about his son, who took his legacy forward and gave such a sacrifice that eventually ended the Mughal empire. His story isn’t widely known around the world, and our attempt is to bring it forward so it reaches a global audience.

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“We have had such heroes born in our country who made immense sacrifices. It’s important to know their stories. I always say that in the West, superheroes have to be imagined, but we have our own heroes. We hope the audience showers love not on us, but on ‘Chhaava’.”

“Chhaava” is not a film, it’s the truth, said Utekar, also known for movies such as “Luka Chuppi”, “Mimi” and “Zara Hatke Zara Bachke”, which also starred Kaushal.

“He (Sambhaji) fought at the age of 22 years, his first fight… Every kid should know who he was, his sacrifice and everyone should know about it.

“The first time I got the idea of this film, I went to Dinoo sir and said I want to make this film. Without even taking a pause, he said go for it. No one has highlighted the hidden history about him, but as soon as he heard the idea, he was on board. The very next day, we began prepping for the film,” the filmmaker said.

Mandanna, who essays the role of Sambhaji Maharaj’s wife Maharani Yesubai, said she admires the character for her “respect, love for her people, and kindness”.

“I believe kindness is often underrated and should be encouraged because it’s something we all need. We all need to be kinder, more often,” she added.

As a South Indian, Mandanna said, getting the opportunity to play a character like Yesubai was surprising.

“When I first met Laxman sir and he narrated the story, I knew I had to do the film. His passion is unmatched. When he tells a story, you can’t help but want to be a part of it. That’s the brilliance of Laxman sir as a director.

“As for preparation, I focused a lot on the language and dialect. She is a Maharani, and that comes with a certain grace and responsibility, I couldn’t take it for granted. I spent months working on it. When I asked Laxman sir about my preparation, he simply said, ‘Just perfect the dialect, everything else will fall into place.’ So, that became my focus,” she added.

Also starring Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty and Ashutosh Rana, “Chhaava” is scheduled to be released in theatres on Friday.