Amid the ever-lasting debate around choosing between a good actor and a star, Ayushmann Khurrana has created a niche for himself by opting for offbeat roles. Interestingly, it has worked well for him
On his birthday we not only wish him a very Happy birthday but also decode how Ayushmann Khurrana is pushing boundaries for male protagonists in Bollywood. Ayushmann Khurrana’s knack for picking up movies with social messages, serious takeaways (particularly about love and sex) in the country seems to have made him the king of Indian rom-com and modern age relationships.
Ayushmann Khurrana is redefining Bollywood
But does choosing niche roles typecast him as an actor? Well, one wouldn’t say so. Unlike some niche actors, Ayushmann hasn’t selected a genre for himself. He is just selecting scripts that are different from mainstream cinema. The fact that his films address real-life issues that we might all face also makes him a favourite because a film on a certain topic often gives the impetus to talk about the issue.
So what’s so real about Khurrana’s films? Experts say it’s the content that is always the king
Vicky Donor (2012)
It was a brave step for singer and television host Ayushmann Khurrana when he chose a film like Vicky Donor to make his Bollywood debut with. The film dealt with the subject of male infertility and sperm donation, a subject that no other actor had dared to pick up.
Ayushmann’s effort and his faith in himself paid off as the film was widely successful. And apart from box office numbers, Vicky Donor was hailed by the audience as a groundbreaking film and became a benchmark of socially relevant Bollywood movies. In what was probably the highest acknowledgement for Vicky Donor, it was conferred with the National Film Award for Best Popular Movie Providing Wholesome Entertainment in 2013. Ayushmann Khurrana proves that the male protagonist is not only for action roles.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)
Dum Laga Ke Haisha is worlds apart from the typical, dreamy and fluffy Yash Raj Film romance. It is a love story that does not give you diabetes with sugary romance but focuses on the day-to-day lives of two strangers, turned husband-wife.
It shows that it gets messy when two strangers share everything, from the room to their bed. That romance can bloom on the banks of Ganga, and not always in Switzerland or Shimla or Manali. And that a lot of hard work and compromises are required both for the groom’s family and the bride to make a marriage work. At times, it gets too grim to handle, yet Dum Laga Ke Haisha portrays all of that beautifully.
Ayushmann Khurrana connected with all the young boys and girls who are forced into arranged marriages and their journey
Badhaai Ho (2017)
Ayushmann Khurrana has mastered the way of getting fit into any character seamlessly. Badhaai Ho elaborates about the mentality of our society on PDA (public display of affairs).
It also features a middle-aged couple’s sex life. Though the subject in question appears to be funny at first and does make room for some hilarious situations in the film, it answers so many questions that usually remain unanswered. We as a society are quick to judge and come to unwarranted conclusions.
With this film, Ayushmann gives the message that any married couple, no matter what age, has the right to romance. The romance between older couples should not be seen as taboo. This is what the film digs deep into.
Ayushmann Khurrana can fit into any role with perfection
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017)
From sperm donation to erectile dysfunction, Ayushmann Khurrana has become the poster boy of unconventional films. The actor feels no fear of being typecast in a certain genre.
Ayushmann is known for acting in films that make statements or send out social messages. With ‘Shubh Mangal Savdhan’, Ayushmann Khurrana managed to reach the other end of the spectrum with this one. Discussing the concept of erectile dysfunction,
The film managed to be a hit in an industry which glorifies toxic masculinity and received worldwide critical acclaim
Andhadhun (2018)
This recent release came as a surprise to us. The film is different in its own way where Akash aka Ayushmann plays blind.
He manages to survive and escape through the mystery that is created by Tabu and Radhika Apte, the lead characters of the film. This is yet another film signed by Khurrana that proved to be unique.
Ayushmann Khurrana: The rising star of off-beat roles in Bollywood
Article 15 (2019)
Seventy-two years after India’s independence, Ayushmann Khurrana’s latest film, Article 15, is an excellent reminder of how far away we are from it.
Article 15 is a socially responsible film and perhaps the first one in mainstream Bollywood to focus on atrocities inflicted on Dalits. It is restrained yet cinematically impactful and portrays a realistic picture of India, steeped deep in the caste system. However, despite all these qualities, it will perhaps serve us better to remember that this is just a film and the quick fix solutions offered in it, unfortunately, aren’t as easy to come by in reality.
What are the odds that the poor parents of the two Dalits girls who were gang-raped and murdered will get justice in reality?
Dream Girl (2019)
Ayushmann Khurrana’s latest character is an out of the box and out of the world ‘Pooja’. The very fact that Bollywood’s self-professed ‘poster boy for taboo subjects’, the most bankable star in recent times, and also the National-Award winning actor, was enough to put all the pressure on Ayushmann’s shoulders for this role. And the actor deserves a pat on the back for effortlessly pulling off this tough act proving once again why he continues to scale heights.
Each time he talks in the voice of Pooja, you actually pinch yourself to believe it’s really him! Dream Girl gives Ayushmann ample space and scope to perform. It’s him who leads the narrative and weaves the whole plot bit by bit. The ease with which he switches on and off from his character, he, once again, has hit the ball out of the park.
Ayushmann Khurrana is the only male protagonist in Bollywood who has taken every different role offered to him and stood by it.
Do you think Ayushmann should consider keeping ‘quirky’ as his middle name?
