‘I WANT TO TELL STORIES THAT START A CONVERSATION’
Ayushmann Khurrana says his off-beat films are working as our society is ready to accept them
Ayushmann Khurrana is having a golden run at the box office with eight consecutive successful films to his credit, and it wouldn’t be wrong to conclude that the versatile actor has cracked the code to spot films that will become box office hits as well as garner critical acclaim. Having tackled myriad subjects with his previous outings, his latest offering, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (SMZS), was definitely one of the trickiest films of his career as it dealt with same-sex relationship — still a closeted topic of conversation in India.
Khurrana says, “It definitely feels good to deliver back-toback successful films but what is equally fulfilling is that I have tried to give different and meaningful cinema to audiences in the process. The journey of making these films has been enriching creatively, as they have also made me thoughtful, more sensitive and a better human being. ”
If Bala (2019) highlighted the importance of self-love, Dream Girl (2019) wove in the message of gender fluidity in a masala entertainer. The actor says that he wants to continue telling such important stories to audiences and not care about whether the films join the ₹100crore-club or not, “I will always continue to do experimental films, and appeal to society to watch these movies with an open mind. The success of these films can be credited to the fact that they are being made in a modern India. I don’t think a film like SMZS would have worked if it was made a few years back. It just goes to show how audiences have evolved. It gives me the freedom to express myself as an artiste and back stories that I want to without the pressure of playing safe,” says the 35-year-old actor.
While some may argue that Khurrana has been doing similar kinds of films, the actor says that he would continue doing meaningful cinema, “I want to tell a story that leaves a message and starts a conversation. I’m delighted with the success of SMZS because it bolsters my faith and belief that I should continue being on my path of doing offbeat, slice-of-life cinema that is deeply seeded in the reality of India. I’d like to bring such subjects out of the closet and discuss them openly as I do feel that our society is ready to accept such films and endorse them, too.”
■ sonil.dedhia@htlive.com