Vicky Kaushal is now toasting another important milestone in his life as Sam Bahadur scored big at the 71st National Film Awards 2025. Meghna Gulzar’s directorial, where Vicky had acted as legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, was awarded for its strong narrative and performances.
Vicky uploaded a moment of pride on his Instagram stories, sharing a video from the award ceremony where Meghna Gulzar won the award, putting up heart emojis to celebrate. The big night also witnessed Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji bag their first National Awards, while Mohanlal was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Sam Bahadur describes the peaks and troughs of Sam Manekshaw’s service, following his path to being the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to Field Marshal rank. The movie interweaves military tactics with politics, displaying Manekshaw’s bravery, intelligence, and leadership. Vicky’s subtle performance brought the legendary figure to life, and it is one of the most authentic depictions of his service. Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, and Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub co-star in the film.
This is Vicky Kaushal’s third National Award-winning movie. He had earlier won the Best Actor honor jointly with Ayushmann Khurrana for Uri: The Surgical Strike, while his film Sardar Udham bagged several awards, including the Best Feature Film in Hindi at the 69th National Film Awards.
Following the success of Chhaava with Rashmika Mandanna, Vicky has kept a low profile regarding upcoming releases. However, he is currently shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War*, alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The film, slated for a March 2026 release, has demanded a major physical transformation from Vicky — from bulking up to 105 kg for Chhaava to shedding it all for this romantic epic.
