‘Everybody is talented; choices matter now’

It’s his work ethic and script selection that separate him from the others, says actor Ayushmann Khurrana

He is glad to be a part of an era when talent is being recognised — a fact validated by his back-to-back hits in the year gone by. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana says his journey in Bollywood in the last six years has been a great learning curve in which he has gone from being cautious to being confident about his movie choices.

After the success of Badhaai Ho and AndhaDhun, has Ayushmann become too cautious with his film choices? “I have always been cautious. Initially I would do one film a year, but now I am doing at least two.”

But hold on — the actor has a clarification to make here. “It is not called being cautious, but I think it is more about being true to your sensibilities. According to me, more than being cautious, it has made me braver. There is a certain self-belief, an affirmation that my choices and sensibilities are working. I would like to see that not as being cautious but as confidence in my choices.”

Next up for the actor are Dream Girl and Bala. With back-to-back hits, does he see himself as tough competition for Bollywood’s A-listers?

“These are the terms used by the media and I really don’t know. All you need to focus on is your craft and how you act — and, of course, script selection, which is a primary reason for anybody’s success, because in today’s day and age, everyone is talented irrespective of field,” he says.

“It’s the age of talent and it will get recognition. I am glad I was born in this era, but, at the same time, my success will totally depend on the choices I make. I am glad that my choices are working and there is a certain validation I have got in the past two years,” feels Ayushmann.

The actor first caught the audience’s attention with a successful debut in Vicky Donor (2012). He then went on to impress viewers and critics alike with his performances in Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) and Shubh Mangal Savdhan (2017). On the other hand, he did see failure with films such as Bewakoofiyaan (2014), Hawaizaada (2015), and Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017). However, the ride, despite the hiccups, has been enjoyable.

“(I had my) sacrifices in terms of personal life, because you hardly get time for your family. It has been a rollercoaster ride for me in the past six years because I have seen everything — from a first super hit in Vicky Donor, initial hiccups after my first hit, but it was a great learning curve...you learn from your mistakes. I think it’s a great journey and it’s still going on,” says the actor.

Initially I would do one film a year, but now I’m doing at least two. It is not called being cautious, but more about being true to your sensibilities AYUSHMANN KHURRANA

ACTOR-SINGER