If Amol Palekar, the workingclass hero of the 1970s, who found an instant connection with audiences through Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee’s comedies, addressed sexual problems, he would be Ayushmann Khurrana. The Shubh Mangal Saavdhan actor laughs at that idea and goes on to tell us why he’s rather uncomfortable in the comfort zone.
That’s a good space to be in. I am proud to be the ‘everyman hero’. I don’t know how it happened. But it happened. I am the face of the common man, the guy who blurts out truths about bodily functions, that we may otherwise not want to speak about in our living rooms. And then we discover that there’re so many others who haven’t spoken about those problems. So in a way, I am not just the face but also the voice of the common man.Ayushmann Khurrana, Actor
Did Ayushmann consciously work towards this image?
Not that I know of. Not consciously for sure. It all started with my first film Vicky Donor. Everyone was slightly squeamish about sperm donation. But I took it on. Curiously my successful films since then have been small-town affairs. My city-slick films have not worked so far. Dum Laga Ke Haisha was set in Hardwar and Bareilly Ki Barfi in Bareilly. My next release Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is also set in a small town. So hopefully my romance with the outback will continue to pay off.Ayushmann Khurrana
Exhausted with promotions, the actor wishes he had more time to enjoy his success.
I had barely finished promoting Bareilly ... when Shubh Mangal’s promotions started. I got no time to celebrate, no time to sit back and look at the success of the film. I wanted to spend time with my family. You know, more than me they’ve got so much to say about the success of a film… But all that will have to wait until the release of SMS. Maybe, if I am lucky, it will be time for a double celebration.Ayushmann Khurrana
In the meantime, there is no pause for awkwardness over the adult theme of SMS.
Erectile dysfunction and performance anxiety are routine problems men face. But no one talks about it. I was very clear about where we would go with this. And I was right. There’s not a cheap word or gesture in the film. That’s because Aanand sir (Aanand L Rai) is on board as the producer. He makes films for the family. He would never do anything that he is uncomfortable watching with his little daughter.Ayushmann Khurrana
It was that surety of sleaze-free cinema that made Ayushmann comfortable doing SMS.
See, I am not comfortable in the comfort zone. What works for me is a cinema that opens up doors and windows into the middle class consciousness. It is the kind of cinema being done by Akshay sir (Akshay Kumar) and Aamir sir (Aamir Khan). I am glad to be doing my own humble bit in addressing taboo middle class subjects that the entire family can watch without squirming.Ayushmann Khurrana
Ayushmann is not afraid to seem grey in his personality.
In fact, the guy I play in Bareilly Ki Barfi has a distinctly mean streak in him. It is only towards the end that his conscience is prodded awake. In contrast, the guy I play in SMS is the epitome of kindness. He is sweet and a gentleman. And he has a performance-anxiety problem. So the poor guy gets a lot of sympathy with maybe some chuckles thrown in.Ayushmann Khurrana
His co-star Bhumi Pednekar, who was paired with him in the hit Dum Laga Ke Haisha, has just had big success with Toilet Ek Prem Katha too and Ayushmann is rooting for them both.
Brume has a big success. I’ve my own success (Bareilly Ki Barfi). Hopefully our combination will work to make SMS a success too.Ayushmann Khurrana
Bhumi, by the way, was a lot more heftier when Ayushmann worked with her in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. “And I had to carry her in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. I don’t have to carry her in Shubh Mangal. But I am asked to do so at promotional events. So she is keeping me on my toes.”
(This article is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 27 August 2017. It is now being republished to mark Ayushmann Khurrana’s birthday.)
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