Vicky Kaushal’s latest blockbuster Chhaava has taken over the Indian box office, and is now on its way to the Rs 600 crore mark. Amidst the film’s phenomenal success and its record-breaking run, a behind-the-scenes (BTS) video sparked an unexpected controversy.
A viral clip from the making of Chhaava recently surfaced online, showing Vicky performing an action scene on a mechanical horse. This led to a wave of social media reactions, with many trolling the actor for allegedly not riding a “real” horse in the film while going on interviews and stating the opposite.
The backlash reminded fans of a similar controversy from 2019 when Kangana Ranaut was criticised for using a dummy horse in Manikarnika. At the time, Kangana defended the use of technology, pointing out that Hollywood actors also rely on such techniques.
However, amidst the wave of trolling, another BTS video has now emerged showing Vicky riding a real horse on set, shutting down claims that he relied solely on CGI. Fans of the actor rushed to his defence, arguing that using mechanical horses for certain close-up shots is necessary during filmmaking.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Vicky reminisced about his experience of shooting with 100 horses for a scene in the film. He admitted that he was initially afraid of horse riding, having fallen off multiple times in the past. “I had been learning to ride a horse for a few films that never got made, and then finally, Chhaava came along,” Kaushal shared. With a laugh, he recalled the nerve-wracking moment on set and said, “If anything went wrong, those horses weren’t going to stop!”
As he prepared for the big moment, Kaushal found himself behind a gate, seated on his horse, Azaad, with the other horses lined up behind them. He spoke to the horse, petted him and said, “Azaad, we’re been together for six months, buddy, and today’s the day. We’re going to do something for the first time together — we’re going to gallop. You run as fast as you want and I’m going to make sure I stay on top of you.”