Ayushmann Khurrana is as real as it gets. And his films are the proof

Is Ayushmann Khurrana the new age Amol Palekar of Bollywood? By his own admission, Ayushmann Khurrana owns the ‘realistic zone’ in Hindi cinema. He is the everyman, much like Amol Palekar in the 70s who is a product of his times. In fact, the actor earned a new sobriquet recently – being a thinking man’s Grihshobha.

His filmography, however, would beg to differ. With films such as Nautanki Saala, Hawaizaada, Bewkoofiyaan and Meri Pyaari Bindu, which failed to leave a mark, or the recent AndhaDhun that found favour with the audiences, Ayushmann has proven his versatility.

Having said that, the roles that have brought the actor both recognition and success are everyman roles, especially the goofball comedies with a sexual edge. He seems to have completed an informal trilogy of films with Vicky Donor, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and Badhaai Ho. Just like Palekar fit the mould in 70s, Khuranna is the middle-class hero the likes of whom you know in real life.

As he gets ready for the release of his tenth film in six years, Badhaai Ho, here’s looking at the ‘real’ roles that have helped Ayushmann find his métier.

Vicky Donor

Vicky Donor was as unconventional a debut as an actor could expect. A sperm donor living in the heart of Punjabi Delhi with a straight-laced Bengali wife – the film brought family audiences to theatres despite its subject being a certain bodily fluid. It was no surprise that the Shoojit Sircar’s film swept away all the major awards of that year including the National Award in the Most Popular Film category. The newcomer had also sung a song ‘Paani da rang vekh ke’ in the film and went on to win the Filmfare Award for the Best Male Playback Singer.

Dum Laga Ke Haisha

His career saw usual ebb and flow after Vicky Donor. Dum Laga Ke Haisha, another success, saw him as a typical man living in Hindi heartland in the 90s. Another everyman role, it saw him as a bullied son who doesn’t want an overweight woman as his wife but doesn’t have courage enough to tell his parents either. One of those rare Hindi films that manage to capture the essence of their milieu, Dum Laga Ke is a pathbreaker in the way it portrayed the woman. While Bhumi Pednekar shined in her debut, Ayushmann brought to life the sulking husband.

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan

From sperm donation to erectile dysfunction, Ayushmann found himself on the other end of the spectrum in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. The romantic comedy with catchy one-liners saw the return of the hit jodi of Ayushmann and Bhumi Pednekar. The latter helped him deal with the issue amid the countdown to their wedding in the film. In an interview with Firstpost, the actor had said, “There is a running joke online that after five years of sperm donation, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan has happened to Vicky Donor. The casting works perfectly for the film.”

Talking about what makes Ayushmann the king of such films, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan director RS Prasanna told Hindustan Times, “Ayushmann is extremely secure as a human being and he is very aware that he was launched by Shoojit Sircar in Vicky Donor. He became the toast of town after delivering movies like Vicky Donor, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. He is one of the few actors who dare to take such taboo subjects like Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar. He has got extreme confidence in his directors and scripts and is very commendable as an actor. He doesn’t care about his image. Ayushmann never felt for even one second that people will make fun of him. And if he would have felt like that, it would have looked fake on screen. He is so evolved as a person. That security and evolution as a human being is what is driving his choices. Now even Badhaai Ho is looking so interesting.”

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