The teaser for Vicky Kaushal’s upcoming biographical war drama ‘Sam Bahadur‘ was released last weekend, and it is as compelling as it gets. The film revolves around the life of Sam Manekshaw who was India’s first army officer to be conferred the rank of Field Marshal, following his instrumental contribution in the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
Born in Amritsar, Punjab, on 3 April 1914, Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was the fifth child of a Parsi couple, Hormizd Manekshaw and Hilla, née Mehta. His parents had six children, including four sons and two daughters. His father served in the British Indian Army as a captain in the Indian Medical Service during the second World War.
Initially, Manekshaw wanted to grow up to become a doctor like his father. However, in an attempt to rebel against his father, who refused to send him to London to study medicine, he sat down for an entrance exam to enter the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and became one of the fifteen cadets to be selected through open competition. His was the first batch of cadets, called ‘The Pioneers‘. The batch produced three future chiefs – Sam for India, Smith Dun for Burma and Muhammad Musa Khan for Pakistan.
During his time at IMA, Sam was known for his sense of humour and often landed in trouble, receiving what he once remarked in a letter to an imaginary friend, “plenty of extra drills“. After the completion of his course, he was commissioned into the Frontier Force.
During World War II, Sam, as a Captain with the 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment, survived near-death injuries while battling for Sittang Bridge against the Japanese in Burma. He was fired multiple bullets. It was when he was barely clutching onto his life that Major General D.T. Cowan pinned his prestigious Military Cross ribbon on Manekshaw because “A dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross”. Thanks to his loyal and brave orderly Sepoy, who rescued him just in time, Sam was able to survive the fatal wounds.
In June 1969 when Sam became the 7th chief of the army staff, succeeding General P. P. Kumaramangalam, and during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, his years in the military were put to test. As the conflicts between East and West Pakistan became turbulent and the Bangladesh Liberation War escalated, India actively aided the creation of the new country, Bangladesh.
Manekshaw’s meticulous planning and execution guided India to victory in the 1971 war. Apparently, he was very upfront in his dealings with the then-PM Indira Gandhi and clearly stated he could guarantee a win for India provided he was allowed to handle the war on his own terms. His outstanding leadership brought India exemplary military success in the Indo-Pak war that concluded within a fortnight. India took over 90,000 prisoners of war.
Manekshaw’s distinguished contributions towards his country were recognised, and he was honoured with Padma Vibhushan by the President of India in 1972. He was also elevated to the rank of Field Marshal in the following year and became the first army officer to be promoted to a five-star rank. So far, only two Indians have been conferred the rank of Field Marshal, the second was K. M. Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
Kaushal’s Sam Bahadur will release on 1 December 2023. He looks particularly promising in his looks, body language, and dialogue delivery in the teaser. After his gripping portrayal of Udham Singh in Sardar Udham, it will be exciting to watch him bring Sam Bahadur’s character to life.
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