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EXCLUSIVE Ayushmann Khurrana: Most of my films will not have any reference point
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is a blockbuster star when it comes to doing content-oriented films.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is a blockbuster star when it comes to doing content-oriented films. He started his career with unconventional films such as Vicky Donor and Dum Laga Ke Haisha and since then, there is no looking back. He is completely natural and a fine actor who makes sure to deliver super-confident performances on the big screen and his recently released film Andhadhun is a proof of it. With the actor basking in the success of the film, Ayushmann is all geared up for the release of his next upcoming film Badhaai Ho, also starring Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Sanya Malhotra in the lead role, Amit Sharma directorial is all set to release this Dusshera, on October 18.
Ahead of the release, Ayushmann Khurrana in an EXCLUSIVE chat with PinkVilla, spoke about picking up the right scripts, his wife Tahira Kashyap and a lot more. Read below:
On Andhadhu success.
Feels great, overwhelmed and I always wanted to have a deja vu feeling since last both the films worked. While you are working on the film, you don't think like that...should not be the motive that "it should be the best film of the year" but when you get these responses, it is overwhelming.
On what made him say yes to Badhaai Ho.
Preeti (Junglee Pictures head) called me up and she told that we have some very interesting concept of your zone and you will love it. Then, I went to Amit Sharma's office and the writer, Akshat, he gave me the narration and I could not point a single dull moment in the narration. I was laughing throughout and it was immediately yes from my side. It is a very different film for me in a way because the entire family is the hero of the film. Every character has been well edged. It is an unconventional family entertainer with a great one-liner of parental pregnancy.
On receiving an immense response to the trailer.
If you have a very quirky one-liner, you really expect this kind of reactions to a trailer level. That grabs a lot of eyeballs when you are making a film which is unconventional quirky one-liner film. So, that was expected. We have a festival release and we have a certain kind of expectations. I hope everybody loves it.
How does he pick his roles when it comes to signing the films?
I pick up my movies first and then think about my role because, in totality, the movie should work, the script should make sense and should be entertaining with a different one-liner. As I said, the script is the main hero of the film. Since the past six years, scripts have always been different and most of my films will not have any reference point. It is always like a film you have never seen before. It would not be a remake of any earlier Hindi film...there is no reference point. I always have that motion in my head to do films which are different.
With too much chaos, realistic scenes in the trailer, how much of it was scripted and spontaneous scenes in the film?
I would not lie but everything was scripted in this particular film. In Andhadhun, there was a lot of improvisation. There were lot of spontaneous actions, reactions because Sriram Raghavan is a very contemporary filmmaker in his head, and he is a rule breaker when it comes to films. But in Badhaai Ho, the script was so perfect that nothing was needed to change. There was room for improvisation but not much because it was already so funny.
Response from friends and relatives after Badhaai Ho trailer release.
For both, Andhadhun and Badhaai Ho I got lot of calls. For Andhadhun, I spontaneously got calls from my contemporaries, and they were tweeting about it. I did not even tell them to tweet about it, Karan Johar and Anushka Sharma also tweeted. Normally, you text your friends asking why you did not tweet to let it grow more but here, everyone is organically doing it. So it was very heartening for Andhadhun and even Badhaai Ho.
On having embarrassing Badhaai Ho moment in life.
I never had Badhaai Ho moment and I hope not and hope my parents don't think about another child, but it has happened with my friend's sibling.
About the funny incidents on the sets of Badhaai Ho.
(Laughs) We had no idea that he (Gajraj Rao) had been farting throughout during the shoots. Amit (director) used to press his finger and it was magic. We got to know about it during the climax shoot after he went to Amit and pressed his finger when mummyji (Neena Gupta) was on bed for her delivery...it was a loud fart and everybody started laughing. It was funny.
If the film would initiate a comfortable conversation in the families?
Firstly, it is a very odd situation that your parents are pregnant, but practically, they should not be. Because they will be gone in 20 and 30 years and the whole responsibility would come on the elder kid. Practically, they should have their love life and sex, but why do you want to have a baby to begin with.
If given a choice, which film would you like to pick as the best film- Andhadhun or Badhaai Ho?
Out of all the films, Andhadhun because it is the most challenging role I have ever done. It is breaking the mold moment for me because this is the first thriller film I have done that too with Sriram Raghavan, and Badhaai Ho is totally my zone, staple, as I have been doing such films which are unconventional and Badhaai Ho takes my legacy forward.
On enjoying the success phase?
It's a great phase to be in...I'm glad to have this journey, the baby steps towards success. I have seen everything from radio to the theatre to television and now films; so, it has been a very fruitful journey and I'm happy.
On sharing screen space with Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta.
Gajraj Rao was my suggestion to have in the film and Neena ji, I never expected her as my mother in the film, but she is just unbelievable in it. She has very strong onscreen personality, but she is very venerable. Someone who is mellow, slightly subtle, but when she came on sets, it was unbelievable. It shows how versatile she is.
On how he has started looking at life differently after his wife Tahira Kashyap was detected with cancer.
"I think I have started looking life in a different way altogether. I'm more happy has a persona, I'm more patient as a person. Small things don't bother me anymore because with an issue like that you have to have a very healthy and happy state of mind because you are also working at the same time...two films were releasing and she was in the hospital. So, in the morning I used to promote my films and go back to the hospital in the night. I was sleepless for seven nights and seven days. It was not easy, but since she was positive, she inspired me a lot. We were also lucky enough as we got to know about it at the early stage...that's the silver lining. We decided to keep it positive."
On Tahira Kashyap's response to Badhaai Ho.
She had already watched the film during the edits only...she always watches my films much before the release and gives the suggestions. Of course, she is very proud. She is always a part of my script selections, she reads my scripts because she had directed me in the college. She was the director and I used to be the actor, we were almost on the same page.
On a biopic he would love to feature in.
I would love to do Kishore Kumar biopic because he is a singer and I'm a huge fan, and since I'm a singer and have my own songs, I would like to do a biopic on him.
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