We knew 'Shershaah' had come out well but the response has been overwhelming: Vishnuvardhan

Noted filmmaker Vishnuvardhan says that he is overwhelmed by the positive response to his maiden Hindi film Shershaah though he expected it to do well. Speaking to DH, he added that he is grateful to movie buffs for supporting his magnum opus.

"We had a feeling that the film had come out well and liked whatever we saw during the editing process. The response, however, has been totally overwhelming. I really don't know how to react. All I can do is thank everyone for the love," he said.

Also Read | 'Shershaah' movie review: Sidharth Malhotra impresses in engaging war drama

Shershaah is based on the life of the late Captain Vikram Batra and features Sidharth Malhotra in the titular role. The biggie, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video a few days ago, received rave reviews with most critics praising its realistic depiction of the Kargil War. Vishnu says that he didn't want the story to come across as 'dramatic' as it is based on the life of a real hero.

"It was clear right from the word go that I did not want this to be a jingoistic or dramatic movie. The story needed to be told and it was a huge responsibility,' added the Billa helmer.

The film star Kiara Advani, who rose to fame with her work in Kabir Singh, as the leading lady and marks her first collaboration with Sid. She plays the role of Captain Batra's fiancee Dimple Cheema.

"She met Dimple to understand her personality. We made it a point not to imitate Dimple and Captain Batra," said Vishnuvardhan.

The filmmaker began his career with the 2003 Tamil film Kurumbu, which failed to live up to expectations. He eventually emerged as a force to be reckoned with when he wielded the microphone for Ajith Kumar's Billa and Arrambam. The star filmmaker made an impact in the Telugu film industry with Pawan Kalyan's Panjaa, which attained cult status. He, however, suffered a setback when Yatchan bombed at the box office. The perception is that Shershaah has helped him regain his mojo. He plans to direct films in all languages going forward.