I did TV shows to survive: Ayushmann Khurrana

My first meeting Ayushmann Khurrana turns out to be quite a revelation! From whatever I have heard about him, I expect to meet a surly, full-of-attitude young actor who will barely mumble a few words and make staid responses to some of my questions and duck the rest. Instead, I am greeted with a down-to-earth, charming and a cheerful fella! He answers all my questions (even the tricky ones!) Here’s an interesting interlude with Ayushmaan where he talks about why he doesn’t want to be Shah Rukh Khan, about his long-distance marriage, writing poetry (sigh) and donating sperm. Read on...

How did your family react when Vicky Donor released?
I was part of the reality show called Roadies and they had an episode based on sperm donation. I have donated sperms in 2004 in Allahabad. I don’t remember the name of the hospital though. That makes me a better actor as I have literally done it (laughs). My parents were okay with me being a donor on national TV so they were fine with me doing Vicky Donor (VD). In fact people have become really progressive now in my family. I was playing an alpha male in the film so in fact dad would probably be proud of that (grins). They enjoyed the film as it is very clean. There was nothing cheap or titillating about it.

After first hit, was it a shock that Nautanki Saala didn’t do well?
Actually, the collections were above average and the film recovered its money. It was made at Rs10 crore and did a decent business of Rs24 crore for the kind of film it was. It was a niche film and an adaptation of a French one. It also gave me more opportunity to explore myself as an actor as VD was right up my alley. I played a Punjabi guy. I was good with the language. But NS was completely different. I grew as an actor and singer in the film. So no regrets at all! I am proud of the film.

How much has life has changed for you after VD?
In Mumbai it is still okay as people are used to seeing film actors but in a small city like Chandigarh or Delhi and other cities, it’s difficult to walk on streets or enjoy a normal life.
But these are the frills that come with the fame. I will never get used to it but I am also fortunate to be in a position where I am right now. My first film did well and I got so many awards. Sacrificing the normalcy in life is a small price to pay for what I have achieved today.

Why do you choose offbeat films?
I would love to do romcoms, massy, singing-dancing typical masala entertainers, especially and out-and-out romantic musical as it would give me an opportunity to sing as well. Also, I feel romance is my strong point. I have not explored that till now. In fact the film that I am doing right now for Yash Raj Films is a commercial rom-com, directed by Nupur Asthana, opposite Sonam Kapoor. DDLJ is my all-time favourite movie.

I am the child of the 90’s when everybody loved Shah Rukh Khan. I love Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander and all Amitabh Bachchan films. I am a huge Amitabh Bachchan fan. I believe that he is like the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian cinema. His contemporaries are around and he is still up there and going strong. I would love to all kinds of genres — from commercial to unconventional cinema. I think the lines between commercial and parallel cinema is blurred now but yes I would like to do roles that are challenging and different — more earthy and what the audiences can relate to.

In Hamara Bajaj where you play the role of a struggling actor.
It’s a slice of life. I play a tourist guide in Taj Mahal, at Agra, who wants to be an actor. He acts as different actors according to the type of tourist he meets he can act like a Al Pacino to a Dilip Kumar. I get to perform different kinds of roles and characters. Eventually he become a superstar. The name of the character is Sanjay Bajaj and that’s why the film’s title.

Did you have to struggle as an actor?
I think if you enjoy your journey you don’t have to struggle at all. I have performed at street plays across India, formed theatre groups and apart from that when we used to travel from Chandigarh to Mumbai we would travel by second-class sleeper to take 40-odd hours to reach our destination. Inside the bogies we would perform and collect money for our lunch.

If you enjoy your journey life doesn’t seem like a struggle. I am a very positive person. I have got rejected so many times  that I’d become numb. I would be told I don’t look like a conventional hero or come across as an  actor or have it in me to become a star. But if you are happy as a person and believe in yourself and your work then you will never feel low or depressed while struggling. I have done TV serials Kayamat and Ek Thi Rajkumari.

I was like there for three-odd months in ETR and I enjoyed it. I deliberately did that show as it  was on a channel that was not visible. It was only aired on dish TV. Nobody saw it. I did it because I had to survive in the city. I didn’t want to do fiction but I had to do it to survive.

Please continue...
I always wanted to be and believed that I would be an actor. I had a lot of people who supported me during my journey in Mumbai as a struggling actor. Tarun Katiyal, Raghu from MTV, Ashish Patil, who is in YRF now and Shoojir Sarkar are some of the people who supported me. These people are considerate, they go beyond professional ties, and I believe in relationships. The struggle was lot less harder because of such people around me.

And the films you want to do...
I would love to play Aamir’s character in JJWS and Shah Rukh’s character in DDLJ and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa.  

You have an SRK hang up?
Every actor of my generation loves him. But hang over? I don’t know... I respect him as a person, but I would not like to be somebody else. There is no conscious endeavour to be a Shah Rukh or Salman. They are superstars and legends and I am just two-films old. I am an actor-singer and I would like to carve an identity of my own in a different way. There are certain similarities between Shah Rukh’s and my life for sure, but there is no conscious effort between those similarities. Yes I got married early and I have dimples, toh mein kya karoon? Mere haath mein thoda hai yeh sab? (grins)

There are rumours that you are demanding three crores for a film...
In fact it’s ironical that I now have to discuss my remuneration in public domain because even my parents don’t ask me how much I charge for my films. You cannot really decide on your price. People decide on how much you deserve and how much you should get. It’s only wishful thoughts that make us think that this is my price and I will charge this. I think a true artiste cannot work for money. Every actor does events for money. They do not do films for money and that’s the rule of the game. I have always dreamed of being an actor, I am an actor. I cannot ask for more... I am not a materialistic person and I don’t know how to handle my finances. I do not understand numbers. I flunked my pre-board exams in Maths.  

A lot of producers/directors who approach you feel you give them attitude...
That’s not true. Maybe people feel that way because I am not able to give them time and meet them as I could earlier because I am working 24/7. Now I refer them to my manager. I was so approachable as a person when I was doing television. After the shift from TV to films,  I have not taken a private number. I have the same number and I get 50 calls in a day, so I just text them to get in touch with my manager.

They should not blame me for that. Now I have to follow a certain protocol because I am being managed by YRF. People have to get in touch with them in order to contact me. I can’t take a call on certain things. In fact you can meet anybody who has worked with me before from radio to TV and they will vouch for me that I haven’t developed an attitude problem. I have taken a difficult route and I still believe that I am not an overnight success and was a gradual transition from theatre to radio to TV and cinema so I don’t think I can afford to have an attitude.

You had Twitter-death recently. Reports of you having  died in a snowboard accident...
My parents gets affected by such reports. My grandfather almost had a heart attack. It was one of those bizarre rumours and my family was really shocked even though  I found it funny!

I believe...
God is... Kind to me

Life is… Awesome

Love is... Eternal

Most amazing actor... Amitabh Bachchan

I live to… Make people happy and I am an entertainer

Sex is... A necessity

Freedom is... Responsibility

Happiness is… A state of mind

Plastic surgery is... Too plastic

John Abaraham is... A friend and Godbrother

I wish I was... I never thought like that as I am so content being me. I never wanted to be me.

I live for... Happiness

I long for... Company of my near and dear ones

I will never... Put on a facade

I think... Too much

My most cherished moment is... When Vicky Donor released. In the initial years of my struggling in Mumbai, I was at Infinity Mall in Andheri when I saw this huge hoarding of Om Shanti Om. I thought kabhi mera bhi ayega poster aisa? It was so surreal when the Vicky Donor poster was put up at the same place.

My biggest fear is… I have minimal expectations so I fear nothing. I am detached as a person. I read Bhagwad Gita everyday and I just realise we just have to be happy. It’s very motivating.    

My biggest asset is... My simplicity

My phone is... Ringing 24/7

My first crush... Sawali Mitra, my classmate, when I was in the fifth standard.

My fave delicacy... I love Punjabi food like Rajma-chawal, sarson da saag and makai
di roti.

I crave… Indian sweets. I get rasgolees from Chandigarh. My mother makes these amazing pinnis and I crave for them