I JUST GO BY MY GUT AND INTUITION
Ayushmann Khurrana says post-Vicky Donor, he was okay to take advice from people, but today, he wants to be the ‘quintessential rule-breaker’
He has single-handedly made out-of-the-box ideas cool as well as commercially-viable, again. Although Ayushmann Khurrana has been on a roll since Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), the actor — after hitting an instant high with his debut film, Vicky Donor (2012) — also experienced a low right at the start [of his career] with films such as Hawaizaada (2015), before bouncing back with Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015). “I look at it all as a great learning experience/lesson of life. Now, I know every Friday is different and that nothing is permanent. PHOTO:
PUNEET
So, you can’t be
CHANDHOK overconfident /HT about anything. I am also glad I got some great scripts and made the right choices as well,” says Ayushmann as he readies for the release of his next film, Bala. Excerpts from an interview:
Almost all your films are driven by unique, clutter-breaking concepts. Is it happening organically or are you looking for such content?
It’s both! I have always looked for unique, clutter-breaking ideas because more than anything, such concepts excite me. Even if I do a masala film or it falls in the generic category, there has to be something unique. Bala, too, has been special and is close to me as I’ve given my heart and soul to it.
But don’t such ‘unique’ ideas come with a risk as a Hindi film hero is supposed to be a ‘Mr Perfect’?
I f el, we need more such ncepts in India as ’re all imperfect.
You have to put the common man on a pedestal and give him the confidence that it’s okay to be imperfect. It’s too far-fetched when one guy beats up 10 people as that’s not the reality. When a regular guy — who has his complexes — is portrayed on screen and gets glorified realistically, it gives confidence to a ‘regular’ person. I feel an important movement is taking place in Indian cinema where a ‘common man’ is feeling good about himself with such films.
At the same time, you also pepper your filmography with movies like Article 15 and Andhadhun (2018). How do you bring that balance?
See, ‘quirky’ films such as Bala,
Dream Girl and Dum Laga Ke... came to me on their own but I’ve had to extract movies such as Article 15 and Andhadhun out of the directors as I’m not the natural or first choice for those films. I approached Sriram Raghavan and Anubhav Sinha myself. That [such films] will happen in the future, too. After two-three projects, I’d love to do films that aren’t in my ‘zone’, to surprise and shock the audience.
Talking of Bala, what was the first thing that appealed to you?
The first thing was overcoming your complexes. India is a complex country and we have a lot of flaws. Also, I feel life itself is about imperfections, and complexes could be of any nature — skin colour, height, weight or hair loss. So, it’s about accepting all of that and overcoming those fears. Bala isn’t just about receding hairline but also self-love. When I hear a narration, I react, consume and enjoy the script like an audience member and not as a star. And I enjoyed Bala’s narration as I could visualise the storyline.
Since Bareilly Ki Barfi, things have been going great as compared to the period right before Dum Laga Ke... What changed?
I have realised that there is no dearth of talent. So, just the choices that you make, bring in all the difference. And I feel fortunate that I’ve made some great choices. I’ve also stopped taking people’s advises. Now, I go ahead with my gut and intuition. I used to take a lot of advice post Vicky Donor. I used to think since they’re from the industry, they must ‘know better’. But in reality, no one ‘knows’. The idea is to be the quintessential rule-breaker and not follow rules.
Since Bareilly Ki Barfi, you haven’t had a flop. Now, with your new films, do you feel any pressure?
Till date, I have felt pressure with only three films, starting with Andhadhun and Article 15, since they were very radical and experimental vis-à-vis the box office. Conversely, Dream Girl was quite a risk for me as I feel I’ve a very loyal multiplex fan base. But with that film, I had to appeal to the single screen audiences. Plus, in the movie, I tried something I had never attempted before — over the top, slapstick comedy. That made me nervous. But Bala is sureshot. It has a superb concept with amazing writing and great messaging throughout. It also has a lot of layers, so I’m confident about it. Plus, it’s one of the best scripts I’ve read till now.
Talking of successes, you seem to have hit upon a mantra...
I really believe that even the biggest of directors, actors and producers may falter, while a newcomer, can do really well. So, there’s no set rule. But I have become more fearless after that phase [right before Dum Laga Ke Haisha; 2015]. And since the time I became fearless and started following my gut, films also started doing well. It feels great but at the same time, you also need to be wise that whatever is relevant right now, may not be relevant five years from now. So, the idea is to evolve with time.
Coming back to your upcoming release, Bala, you seem extremely confident about it…
It’s surely a very special film. I didn’t go through just the emotional journey [of the character] but also the physical bit. For instance, I shot for the movie in extreme weather conditions — such as 45 degrees in Kanpur and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). Prosthetics, too, used to take two-and-a-half hours.
Personally, what was the biggest challenge for you vis-à-vis Bala?
Prosthetics, of course, was a big factor. I wanted to go bald but that couldn’t do so, since we had to show different stages of balding. The second thing was [having] empathy towards people, who have a problem of hair loss and other hair-related issues. I am genetically blessed that way. But I have met a lot of friends of mine, who have had experiences of receding hairline. Interestingly though, I’ve noticed two completely different kind of attitudes [in people with receding hairline]. While some have complexes due to it, others don’t care as they feel that they have great personalities. The idea is to follow the latter and be comfortable in your skin. Bala is all about the journey towards self acceptance.
Dream Girl was quite a risk for me as I feel I’ve a very loyal multiplex fan base. But with that film, I had to appeal to the single screen audiences. AYUSHMANN KHURRANA, ACTOR
The film has you team up with Stree director, Amar Kaushik…
I feel it’s a step up for him. After Stree, it’s a good second film for Amar. And it has the potential to go beyond Stree in terms of commerce and also bringing in credibility.