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Felt more responsible about playing real life role: Vicky Kaushal

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Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Actor Vicky Kaushal, who plays a Pakistani Army officer in “Raazi”, says he felt more responsible while narrating the character on-screen because the forthcoming film is based on a series of true stories and real life people.

Based on Harinder Sikka’s book “Calling Sehmat”, the story of the film “Raazi” revolves around a young Kashmiri girl who gets married to a Pakistani Army officer and becomes a spy to give inside information about the neighbouring country to protect her own.

Vicky told IANS: “Since the film is based on a true life incident, there was a certain amount of responsibility on all of us to get the story right. Whether it is me, Alia Bhatt or anyone who was a part of the film…We were conscious about not to tamper with anything.”

His character is named Iqbal.

“The character has many shades — of a patriot, of a son, a husband and an individual who is dealing with so many complex situations. I think it was a huge responsibility for director Meghna Gulzar as well and she treated the story very sincerely.”

Vicky, who did not read the book as a conscious choice to follow the script religiously, said he only went by the director’s vision.

“If we look at the original book, the story has a huge number of details, many plots and insights. Meghna tried to make a film out of the story that captured the journey of an innocent daughter becoming a spy to protect her country. There was no reference point of my character, apart from the script that Meghna wrote after a lot of research work.

“So when I was building the character as a part of my preparation, we used to sit together and interact. That was the best way to bring life to the character which was written on paper,” added the actor, who feels very non-judgmental about the character that he has played.

“I know I played a Pakistani in the film but it is not a hate story between two countries. The story is much deeper than that. I think the film is treating every individual as individuals who are doing their duties,” he said.

Elucudating on this, he said: “When you are standing on the border, to protect your country, given an order from higher authority, you have to fire and that could kill people on the other side of the border. That is a part of duty…nothing personal. For an army officer, nothing is bigger (or more important) than his country.

“As an individual, maybe you do not even know the soldier personally, so there is no hatred. But as a countryman, you focus on the duty and responsibility that has given to you.”

Having worked with many directors like Anurag Kashyap, Rajkumar Hirani and Neeraj Ghaywan within a short span in his career, Vicky feels fortunate about having played a variety of characters — from the young aspirational boy of “Masaan” to the drug addict policeman in “Raman Raghav 2.0” or the urban boy in “Love Per Square Foot”.

In hindsight, he said: “There was something very pure and a naive factor in my character in ‘Masaan’ that everyone loved. That film will remain very close to my heart because even today, after a few films, people connect me remembering ‘Masaan’. On the other hand, it is a different thing with ‘Raman Raghav 2.0′ where I explored a territory that nobody would, if not given an opportunity.”

“I did not enjoy playing the character in terms of experiencing it as it was very dark. As an individual, I wanted to run away from him… But that was an experience.”

After “Raazi”, which is releasing on Friday, he has “Sanju” and “Love and Lust” in his kitty.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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