Written Off As Flop Actor After Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Ayushmann Became A 'Hit' With His Choices
Ayushmann recalls how when Hawaizaada bonked he questioned himself about his choices.
Ayushmann Khurrana is the man of the moment, it won¡¯t be an exaggeration to say whatever he touches turns into gold. After giving five back to back hits and winning a National Award he is still the same. When Indiatimes met the actor, he still had the newcomer air, with a lots of aspiration of doing something new.
In conversation with us, the star admitted that receiving a National Award is the perfect validation and how he was written off as a flop actor.
When Hawaizaada bonked, there was a time I was questioning myself - what¡¯s going wrong with my choices?
Ayushmann who began his journey as an RJ talked about being written off as a flop actor, ¡°It was only when Hawaizaada bonked, there was a time I was questioning myself what¡¯s going wrong with my choices, that was a great learning curve, because if that didn¡¯t happen, this wouldn¡¯t have happened, so I give credit to my unsuccessful films for my success, that was the only phase and after that thankfully Dum Laga Ke Haisha happened in three weeks.¡±
I remember immediately after Dum Laga Ke Haisha somebody tweeted that you are a flop actor
When asked how success has changed the people¡¯s perception towards him, has he ever faced unpleasantness from the people within the industry and what¡¯s their reaction now, to which he said, ¡°They never used to tell you on your face, but yes I am quite active on social media and I remember immediately after Dum Laga Ke Haisha somebody tweeted that you are a flop actor. I was about to tweet back to that person saying that Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a legit hit film.
But then I realised what¡¯s the point of doing it. If I become a hit actor nobody will tweet that so then I made sure that all my films are successful films, so I always used to put the script ahead of my character and that was my only aspiration to give successful films and if the elbow is there for my characters then I will go for it¡±.
Today everyone is talking about Ayushmann¡¯s success and even his contemporaries take him as a threat. Many even say that the Khans should learn how to choose scripts from him, when asked about this, he had an embarrassing smile and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s just that everybody is doing good cinema right now especially my contemporaries.¡±
He further added, ¡°It¡¯s very unfair to say that, the new generation at least has to spend 25 years in the industry and give consistent hits otherwise there is no comparison¡±.
National Award is actually the perfect validation that my choices have been right
Talking about his plans on taking his career forward especially after receiving National Award, he said, ¡°It¡¯s a very happy pressure, a happy responsibility that I have right now. National Award is actually the perfect validation that my choices have been right so I don¡¯t want to think about anything else or change my formula towards the approach of the scripts.
I want to keep the basics right. I don¡¯t have to get overwhelmed by the name of the director, actor or co-producers or the paraphernalia around it, I just want to go with the middle road, that¡¯s it.¡±.
He further added, ¡°I just want to try different things, I¡¯m not thinking about that I gave five back to back successes, for me Dream Girl is very different, completely different from my filmography, it¡¯s the most masala and commercial I have gone. Generally, I have played with subtlety in my films, but in this one, I have gone all out, this is actually an ode to 90¡¯s comedy, I have taken the Govinda out of me. "
Films like Dream Girl will give more reach to films like Article 15
Ayushmann explains why he chose to do a masala and commercial film like Dream Girl, ¡° With Dream Girl, I would love to reach single screens because the tonality of the film is like that, it is slapstick, it is slightly illogical but it¡¯s humourous, you will just laugh out loud in the whole film the songs are also very commercial it¡¯s not off centre, so I want to reach those audiences because this kind of film will give more reach to films like Article 15.¡±
I don¡¯t take any opinions from anyone, I go with my gut and intuition
Everyone wants to know whose advice does Ayushmann take when he chooses his scripts and what¡¯s his criteria, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t take any opinions from anyone, I go with my gut and intuition, but yes my wife and manager do read my scripts and that¡¯s about it.
I keep my basics right. One is, it has to be absolutely fresh concept for the Indian cinema, number two, concept has to last for two hours, what happens most of the time, the concept is good but film doesn¡¯t work and third is, it has to have some kind of value addition.¡±
Clearly, the man is here to stay and conquer.
