Ayushmann Khurrana Has Become A Common Man's Superhero By Breaking Social Taboos, One Film At A Time

Who would have imagined that at the time when talks about nepotism are only gaining momentum and star kids like Ananya Panday are only getting trolled for their ¡°struggle stories¡±, a common man like Ayushmann Khurrana, quite effortlessly, would carve his own niche in the industry.

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While the Khans were trying hard to come up with new concepts and failing at it miserably, Ayushmann was busy winning hearts of audiences and a national award, on the sidelines.

Who would have thought in their wildest dreams that this Roadie-turned-anchor-turned actor will turn out to be far more promising than the insiders who are busy making mediocre debuts with big banners and ace filmmakers like Karan Johar!

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You would be surprised to know that even Karan Johar¡¯s hit formula for success isn¡¯t working anymore. The man who gave us classic hits like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai among others, recently said that he will never direct a horror film after Ghost Stories. While the movie received lukewarm reviews, Karan says he wouldn¡¯t direct a film of this genre anymore because he doesn¡¯t like watching such films. So then, why did he try his hands at this in the first place?

In the past, he also tried to pull off Sanjay Leela Bhansali-style movie, Kalank which turned out to be the biggest failure of his directorial career. He tried sticking to celebration of showmanship and star power in his films like Student of The Year 2 but even that didn¡¯t quite work for him.

So, you get the drift? While filmmakers, especially the ¡°flag bearer of nepotism¡±, are still figuring out what strikes a chord with the audiences, content King Ayushmann Khurrana has become the middle-class hero that we all need at this time.

Yesterday, the trailer of his much-awaited film Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan was released, and in no time, it became the top trend on social networking platforms like Twitter. This time, the poster boy of all taboo-subjects, is taking on the topic of homosexuality. In the trailer, him wearing the rainbow flag (gay pride flag or LGBT pride flag) is a sight to behold.

What¡¯s so different about this film since a lot of gay films have been made in the past as well, right? Aligarh, I Am, Margarita with a Straw, My Brother Nikhil -- several movies have been made on this topic. However, most of them didn¡¯t get the limelight they deserved -- sometimes because of censor board restriction and other times because they didn¡¯t quite connect with audiences. They were perceived as art films -- only meant for a certain section of audiences.

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Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is a masala entertainer, a family drama film that in a light-hearted way tackles the subject of homosexuality so well that you can totally watch the film with your family.

In fact, the trailer itself has done this job to quite some extent. This twitter user revealed how his homophobic mother wanted to watch this ¡°new gay film¡± and how happy he is to see this change.

OKAY I LOVE AYUSHMAN KHURRANA I AM SELLING MY SOUL TO HIM. TODAY MY MOM ASKED ME IF WE CAN GO WATCH HIS NEW GAY MOVIE AND I'M SO HAPPY BECAUSE LIKE MY MOM USED TO BE HOMOPHOBIC KINDA IDK AND SHE ASKED ME!! I AM GOING TO SPEAK IN CAPS LOCK AND RAINBOW NOW #ShubhMangalZyadaSaavdhan

¡ª aafu? (@seokjinyeet) January 20, 2020

With so much ease and a plethora of content-driven films that come along with a moral message to break a lot of taboos, Ayushmann Khurrana has turned out to be a middle-class superhero, who is boosting the confidence of common people.

Single-handedly, he has made a common Indian man who is caught up in the shackles of orthodox and conservative norms, confident about his impotence through Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, sperm donation through Vicky Donor, baldness through Bala, cast through Article 15 and mother getting pregnant with Badhaai Ho.

He has rightfully earned the name and stature that only Khans, Bachchans and Kapoors used to enjoy until now. Even Ranveer Singh admitted in an interview recently that he is slightly jealous of Ayushmann Khurrana.

Instead of choosing to play the angry-young man or a macho hero, a man-child or a die-hard romantic guy, he chose to play real and relatable characters that are entertaining and subtly delivered a strong message.

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So, do movies cast an impact on audiences? That¡¯s one question that remains highly-debatable since forever. But when it comes to the kind of cinema that Ayushmann Khurrana is doing, the answer is -- yes. For instance: It was Vicky Donor that kick-started conversations about sperm donation, and now, people to some extent aren't ashamed to talk about it in open.

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His brand of cinema is iconic. And it¡¯s not only the great script that does its magic. The characters and relatable storylines make it more appealing. For instance, the characters from Badhaai Ho were all from our families. That¡¯s exactly how your Mohalla and relatives would respond to your mother¡¯s pregnancy at that age. We all have the badass Dadi who keeps taunting our mothers but loves her immensely, the father who often finds it hard to take a stand between his mother and wife but cares for both of them equally, the mother whose dreams are just to see their kids doing well in life, right?

The kind of cinema that Ayushmann Khurrana is a part of isn't extraordinary, it¡¯s real and that¡¯s what makes it a winner. His films are also largely commercial and masala entertainers, yet they are a lot different from what Bollywood is into at the moment.

And he loves doing such movies. He has struck the right balance between mass-entertainers and films with social messages.

¡°There is no greater joy as an artist than seeing them enjoying your cinema and also coming out with a message to take home, to discuss and ponder. This film is again one such script that will thoroughly entertain audiences and also deliver an important social message about inclusivity and individuality,¡± he said in an interview.

He has done roles that actors like Rishi Kapoor and others were scared to even attempt.

¡°I could never do these kinds of experimental films, which worked big time. I could never do films which Ayushmann Khurrana is doing. These are all content based films,¡± Rishi Kapoor was quoted as saying by PTI.

His films haven't always worked, but still the fact that he attempted a movie like Hawaizaada, speaks volumes about the kind of actor he is. Ayushmann Khurrana has been in the industry for a long time, doing things that he always loved -- like singing and video jockeying -- but it was only last year that with films like Andhadhun and Badhaai Ho that he finally arrived at the stage he wanted to be. Since then, there¡¯s been no looking back.