Ayushmann Khurrana

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It was Madhuri Dixit’s hit song Ek Do Teen…in Tezaab that inspired Ayushmann Khurrana to become an actor Ayushmann Khurrana credits Madhuri Dixit’s hit song Ek Do Teen… in the Anil Kapoor film Tezab (1988) that inspired him to become an actor. According to Ayushmann Khurrana when he was about 4 years old he had seen the film Tezaab at a single screen theatre in Chandigarh along with his parents. When the song Ek Do Teen blazed the screen, the audience in the dingy cinema hall whistled, cheered and threw coins at the screen. Some cine buffs went crazy and chanted ‘Mohini… Mohini…’ and the cinema hall echoed with thunderous clapping and applause. . More than the song and Madhuri Dixit’s dance, young Ayushmann Khurrana was fascinated by the splendor of cinema. He was overwhelmed by the jubilation and the fondness of audiences towards Madhuri Dixit. Bowled over by the euphoria of the audience towards film stars, young Ayushmann Khurrana, made up his mind to become a film star! Ayushmann Khurrana was ridiculed by school teachers for his interest in films After having made up his mind to become an actor, Ayushmann Khurrana started to act and dance and drew attention in school and society. But he rued, “In our Punjabi culture acting and singing is considered worthless. Hence my school teacher ridiculed me. My math teacher used to taunt me saying – you are nuts in studies, you can only dance and sing.” When he confessed his passion to his grandma she slapped him. Similarly, when he opened heart his to his sweet-heart, she laughed him off! Despite humiliation Ayushmann Khurrana continued his struggle Despite humiliation Ayushmann Khurrana, pursued his passion. To add salt to his injuries he failed in the Channel [V] singing reality show, Popstars. He was condemned by some for his thick eyebrows, some mocked his Punjabi accent and some laughed at his short height. But Ayushmann Khurrana, withstood all humiliations and made a second attempt in 2004 to participate in MTV’s Roadies season 2, which he finally won and at the young age of 20, when others of his age are busy completing their formal studies, Ayushmann Khurrana was earning a handsome five figure salary!

Ayushmann Khurrana fell in love with Tahira at college The fact that Ayushmann Khurrana is married and has two children is difficult for his female fans to digest. But the truth is Khurrana, married Tahira Kashyap, a family friend in Chandigarh in 2011. Ayushmann Khurrana had studied in an all –boy’s school hence the curiosity to meet girls and have girl friend was intense. When he stepped into School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, to pursue Mass Communication, he encountered a young and attractive girl Tahira Kashyap. She was studying Journalism in the same college. The two became close friends and soon friendship blossomed into love and the two wedded in 2011 after many years of dating and understanding each other. Tahira is a multi-talented woman, apart from being a lecturer; she has also worked at a radio station and is author of his autobiography - Cracking the Code: My Journey in Bollywood.

Ayushmann Khurrana took acting seriously since childhood After having made up his mind to become actor Ayushmann Khurrana took up acting seriously. At school he would spend more time at theatre than classroom. He would be engaged in doing legendary plays like Shylock and Merchant of Venice or did musicals like Romeo and Juliet and eve performed dark plays like Othello. Khurrana was so passionate about plays that he took intense interest in theater both at school St. John’s High School and DAV College in Chandigarh. In addition, he was even instrumental in founding two active theatre groups in DAV College, Chandigarh. The theater groups called ‘Aaghaaz’ and ‘Manchtantra’, are even today functional despite Khurrana, having quit them long back. During his college days Ayushmann Khurrana did many experiments in dramatics. He revived the orthodox style of street plays and won prizes in national college festivals like Mood Indigo (IIT Bombay), Oasis (Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani) and St. Bedes Simla. He also won a Best Actor award for playing Ashwatthama in Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug.” Soon he began getting a lot of TV offers. He was a TV presenter for various shows like the IPL broadcasts and was also a RJ at BIG FM Delhi for four years. Film director Shoojit Sircar convinced Ayushmann Khurrana for Vicky Donor Film director Shoojit Sircar wanted a face which could translate innocence and honesty for his film Vicky Donor (2012). The role was first offered to Vivek Oberoi and later to Sharman Joshi but both declined as the subject was bit edgy. Finally Shoojit hit upon casting Ayushmann, whom he had discovered for MTV’s Wassup. When Shoojit gave the good news to Ayushmann, he could not believe as he felt his personality did not suit the character but Shoojit convinced him. Ayushmann Khurrana did a fantastic job but Khurrana credits Shoojit as he believes Shoojit extracted the right performance from him. The film won National Award and it fetched Ayushmann Khurrana the prestigious Filmfare, Screen and Stardust Best Debut Actor Award. After Vicky Donor, Ayushmann Khurrana was shattered After the mega success of Vicky Donor, Ayushmann Khurrana was shattered with a hat-trick of flops viz Nautanki Saala, Bewakoofiyaan and Hawaizaada but despite failures, Ayushmann Khurrana did not sign any run of the mill masala Bollywood film, instead he signed Dum Laga Ke Haisha, another off-beat film with a new comer Bhumi Pednekar. The film not only did good business but won National Film Award. Speaking about his penchant for parallel cinema, Ayushmann Khurrana says, “Though I love all kinds of cinema but roles that are different and earthy, which people can connect are more challenging to perform. Such roles give inner solace as an actor.” The pair Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar are once again collaborating this year and have Jodi have signed a new film, ‘Shubh Mangal Savdhan’ to be produced by Aanand L. Rai.