Ayushmann has FOMO

Khurrana says he wants to be the first one to do a film on a particular subject

There are all kinds of movies in Ayushmann Khurrana’s varied filmography but the National Award-winning actor now hopes to do an out-and-out action thriller in Rohit Shetty style. Ayushmann has made a name for himself with quirky stories set in small town India and in his latest Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, he plays one of the two men in a relationship.

A crowded release calender notwithstanding, the actor said he will go wherever an interesting script takes him as he does not believe in dos and don’ts. “Engaging people for two hours in a theatre is most important. It could be a vanilla subject, but it’ll work if the film as a whole works. Right now, I’m looking for an action thriller. I’d love to work with Rohit Shetty, though it’s a completely different zone for me,” Ayushmann said.

The actor has been on a golden run that started with 2017’s Bareilly Ki Barfi to his last release, Bala but there has not been enough time to pause and process. “I live in the present but my eyes are always on the future. I’m just thinking ‘what’s next’ and I’m always excited. The kind of subjects I’m getting these days, they’re incredible. I’ve this FOMO (fear of missing out), I want to be the first one to do a particular subject. This fear always makes me reach out for newer subjects,” he said.

It is not always that good scripts come one’s way, sometimes one has to stick their neck out and seek out movies that matter, said Ayushmann citing the example of Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun for which he earned a National Award and Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15. “There should be no shame in asking for work, for films, even if you are an established actor who wants to work with a filmmaker on a particular subject,” he said. The actor will next be seen with megastar Amitabh Bachchan in Gulabo Sitabo, which reunites Ayushmann with his Vicky Donor director Shoojit Sircar and writer Juhi Chaturvedi.