• Source:JND
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Vicky Kaushal recently opened up about the much-talked-about box-office clash between his film 'Sam Bahadur' and Ranbir Kapoor's 'Animal', both of which were released on December 1 last year. While 'Animal' was a masala entertainer with high-octane action, 'Sam Bahadur' was a biographical drama portraying the life of India's first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw.

In a conversation with The Week Magazine, Vicky described the clash as a "test match," acknowledging the distinctiveness of "Sam Bahadur" from the typical masala films. He stated, "We always knew it was not the quintessential masala film that 'Animal' was. It had the shock value, and one knew it would create waves at the box office."

Despite the clash, Vicky and the team behind 'Sam Bahadur', led by director Meghna Gulzar, remained confident in their film's ability to connect with the audience through word-of-mouth promotion. Vicky emphasized that a film's success is ultimately determined by its resonance with viewers, regardless of its release timing. He said, "If it would not click with people, it would not do well no matter when it released."

The actor expressed delight in the increasing buzz around 'Sam Bahadur', noting that discussions about the film continued to grow even in January. He remarked, "We saw that through January, 'Sam' shows kept going on, and that gives me tremendous happiness."

Despite the competition from 'Animal', 'Sam Bahadur' managed to earn praise from its target audience and achieved a worldwide box office collection of Rs 130.30 crore. The film also received eight nominations at the 69th Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics) and Best Actor for Vicky Kaushal.

 

Reflecting on his journey in Bollywood, which includes notable films like 'Masaan', 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', and 'Sanju', Vicky humbly stated that the line between popularity and stardom is blurring. He believes that true stardom is when people watch a film solely because of the star, irrespective of its quality, and feels he has yet to achieve that status.

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