'Knew I had to do it, take the plunge': Ayushmann Khurrana on his first onscreen portrayal of homosexual man

Ayushmann Khurrana has been a force to be reckoned with ever since he made his debut in Vicky Donor opposite Yami Gautam. The actor has always managed to impress audiences with his acting prowess and his choice to be a part of socially relevant films. 

The Bala actor is currently is gearing up for the release of Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan which is due to release in February, in which he will be seen portraying the role of a homosexual man for the first time. In a recent interview, Ayushmann opened up about the role and how many people from the Hindi film industry asked him to re-think playing a gay man on screen.

"I’m what I’m because of my family. They have constantly been a massive support system for me and they have always enabled me in taking the biggest life decisions. When I decided to pursue a career in showbiz, they stood by me like a rock."

He further added, "When I decided that my brand of cinema will stand for taboo-breaking subjects and characters like being a sperm donor in Vicky Donor, a man dealing with erectile dysfunction in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, someone who is prematurely balding in Bala, to now proudly playing a gay man in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, they told me to always back my instincts and never think of what society or my immediate community will say about me."

"Their (family’s) confidence in me and my dreams has made me who I’m today, has made me what I stand for and I can’t thank them enough. Doing Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan was one of the most important decisions of my life. A lot of people from the industry asked me to re-think this because no leading hero has ever portrayed a gay man on screen. But I knew, this stereotype needed to be shattered and the time to change it, is now. I somehow knew I had to do it and take the plunge," he said.