Actress Anushka Sharma is happy that her character Arfa managed to stand on her own in "Sultan" despite the larger-than-life persona of superstar Salman Khan.

"Getting Salman Khan's fans to tell you, 'I am your fan too' is a big deal because they are the most loyal fans. All the three Khans have such loyal fans. I feel very special.

"I think you want your work to be noticed and appreciated and for it to happen in a film like Sultan and with a megastar like Salman, I feel very happy," the actress told PTI.

The appreciation is more special for Anushka because she considers the Ali Abbas Zafar-directed film her most challenging project ever.

The actress says she feels her "robot" style of working to get the physical transformation and hard work on understanding the thought process of Arfa have paid off.

"'Sultan' has been my most difficult film till now. It was challenging for me physically and emotionally it was tough. I had to understand the emotions and maturity that probably I don't posses in me right now. Also, learning a sport, changing my body type and waking up early in the morning, going for training and then learning wrestling...


"I was working like a robot. But today when I am getting this kind of appreciation from people I feel grateful. All the love people are giving me because of the film, is special. I feel all the hard work has paid off."

Being called convincing as a wrestler on screen is definitely one of the biggest highs for Anushka, especially since many doubted her ability to look like a wrestler, given her petite frame.

The 28-year-old actress says she wanted her act to look authentic and hence chose to learn wrestling and opted against the use of a body double, even for wide shots.

"I feel superb that people are saying I was convincing as a wrestler. I was so adamant that I needed to learn it correctly. I told Ali, 'You cannot use body double for me even for the wide shots, I will do everything myself'. I learnt so much about wrestling and practised it that today I can have a decent conversation with a wrestler about bouts and stuff.

"So, because I worked so hard on it, I wanted it to be something that I am doing completely myself and I think that's what people are responding to. It looks real to them, my fights look real."

Amid the accolades, there have been a few voices criticising the graph her character takes in the film but Anushka says she totally understands Arfa decision to let go of her wrestling dream after discovering she is pregnant.

"What people are saying is more regressive because those who are saying she has given up her dreams for a man have forgotten that it's her baby also. She has not given up her dreams for the man, she has done that for her baby. That is a choice she has made and she made it on her own without being pressurised."