Ayushmann Khurrana has always made his presence felt irrespective of the medium chosen. Significantly his journey as a performer encompasses television, theatre, video jockeying, hosting and of course films. After winning the Roadies 2 he moved to radio and later television making his film debut in Vicky Donor , for which he received positive and critical review. Apart from being associated with theatre groups he has also won the audience recognition and praise for his acting on the stage.
In the Capital to attend the screening of his film Dum Lage Ke Haisha at an annual film festival he talked to The Hindu about his career, films, festivals and other issues.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
How do you think these festivals change the way movies are perceived in India and what type of movies should fest screen? I think such festivals portray pure art rather than just entertainment. The commercial aspects do not come into play here. Instead we are here for discussing only the content of the film. Film festivals celebrate Indian cinema at its best.
Your choice of movies has been quite ‘unconventional’ in a certain sense –– right from Vicky Donor to Dum Laga ke Haisha . What drives to you choose such films?
It’s good to build a certain niche for yourself which I think is very important. And I have also realised that content is the king. And content-based cinema is doing really well in the country. The lines between commercial and content-based cinema are blurring now – they are not parallel cinema any more. Every kind of film is working now. Films that are relatable, close to the masses, and which are more real – they connect really well with the audiences and that is why I will stick to that.
How was it like working with Bhumi Pednekar as a co-star and the rest of the team?
Bhumi is amazing. I think she was already a very good actor, because she was a casting director earlier and being a casting director you are in that constant habit of throwing lines at people who are auditioning behind the camera. So I think she was in the habit of acting. She is a brilliant actor. I think the best part of working with Sharat Kataria is that he never used to discuss any scene. He used to just give all of us a free hand. Also most of the other actors in the film are from National School of Drama. They are trained actors from Sanjay Mishra to Alka Amin, Seema Pahwa. All experienced, all veterans so I think it just rubs off on you too when you are working with talented people, it’s kind of infectious. It’s like playing table tennis, if your opponent is good, your game eventually gets better.
How much can you relate to your character in the movie? How did you prepare for it?
This is the only role that I have played where I could not relate myself even a bit. I think this was the best challenge about the role. Speaking of challenges, the language was the primary one. I have spoken khadi boli in the film, which is not my language at all. I am from Chandigarh. So when I sat for the workshops, and when we started reading the script for the first time, I realised that I had this habit of saying lines very quickly because of the Punjabi accent in my Hindi. So I had to work really hard on that. It’s not just the verbal language, but also the body language which was completely different in this film, as I played a simple and uneducated guy in the film, who is slightly complexed. I think this could probably be my best film because I could not relate to the character at all, so I had to work really hard on the character.
Did you enjoy being a VJ more, or do you like being an actor more? Also what can fans expect from you in the near future – films or music?
I don’t know. What I like is being a performer. Being on stage gives you an instant high because it is an instant gratification for an artist. Whereas in a film, you’d have to wait longer, about a year or so to gauge the reaction of the audience; but when you are on stage, be it as a singer or a theatre actor or an anchor – you get instant reactions and instant gratification. That is what I love about being a performer.
I don't want to spoil the fun but all I can tell is that I have movies and music both coming up. I will also be working with Shoojit Sarcar and Yashraj Films very soon.
