'Uri was most exhausting'

'I have given my more than six months of preparation time for the film.'
'I have never done this for any other film.'
'Then, there was a continuous shoot of two-and-a-half months, including 35 days of action scenes.'
'Eventually, you feel like aisa mauka phir kahaan milega.'

"I heard the words 'surgical strike' for the first time in my life," Vicky Kaushal confesses to Rediff.com Contributor Ramesh S, referring to the military operation that unfolded on the night of Sepetember 28-29, 2016 following the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri.

After playing a Pakistani soldier in Raazi, Vicky plays an Indian soldier in Uri: The Surgical Strike.

The actor is enjoying a good phase in his career and it gets better in Uri, where he takes centrestage in an ensemble cast.

2018 has been a good year for you, with films like Raazi, Sanju and Manmarziyaan. Every director wants to work with you now.

That's really sweet because I want to work with every director.

But this has just started.

It has truly been a good year.

I am really grateful to God, to the people who gave me these opportunities and the audience.

I got a chance to do good work with good people.

How was your Uri experience?

It was the one of the most exhausting experiences I have ever had!

Firstly, I have given my more than six months of preparation time for the film.

I have never done this for any other film.

Then, there was a continuous shoot of two-and-a-half months, including 35 days of action scenes.

It was very tiring.

But eventually, you feel like aisa mauka phir kahaan milega.

Although it is nerve-wracking whether the movie will work or not, we know that we have given our 100 percent.

Were you aware of the surgical strike?

I heard the words 'surgical strike' for the first time in my life.

Everyone was aware about the war, but the term 'surgical strike' was new to me.

Then I got certain details from newspapers and television about what exactly it means.

But other details like how it happened aren't out, it's classified.

When the script of Uri came to me, I was eager to know the details of the surgical strike as a citizen of this country.

I got to know it was a 10-day plan, and it was planned and executed in that time.

So, in the film as well, one will watch the progression in 10 days.

They didn't lose their sanity by executing a covert and efficient mission under all that pressure.

So, such a story needs to be shown to each and every citizen of our country.

After knowing about the surgical strike, did you get goosebumps while shooting for it?

We used to get goosebumps after every single army training. Then they would say 'It's only a trailer' (laughs).

Getting an opportunity to play such a role is an honour.

As an actor, it is thrilling to experience a new life so closely.

When we had conversations with the special forces and listened to stories about their missions and training, it definitely gave me goosebumps.

You feel these people are the real heroes.

In Raazi, you played a Pakistani soldier while in Uri, you are seen as an Indian soldier. Did the Indian forces comment on that?

Yes, someone said jokingly that you first took information from them and then did the surgical strike (laughs).

But on a serious note, these are two different stories and I am playing two different roles.