‘I keep the story before my character': Ayushmann Khurrana opens up on 'Article 15' and more

When the trailer of Article 15 was launched, people were taken in not just by the relevance of the theme and the gritty dialogues, but also by Ayushmann Khurrana’s transformation into a no-nonsense IPS officer in the Anubhav Sinha directorial. Loosely based on the Badaun rape and murder case of 2014, the investigative drama sees the actor play a cop for the first time on screen. Ahead of the film’s release on Friday, Ayushmann talks to After Hrs about his belief in the subject and getting into the skin of his character...

We heard Anubhav Sinha had met you to offer some other script?

Yes, he had offered me a romcom when I met him for the first time. I had recently seen Mulk, and was excited to do something like that. So I told him that I wasn’t looking to act in a romcom, but was keen on doing something hard-hitting. He gave me a one liner of Article 15 and I was intrigued. Also, I’m socially conscious as a citizen and as an artiste. So, both of us were on the same page. He was surprised that I had a keen interest in a subject like caste discrimination. We discussed a lot on the subject, created more drafts and finally started working on this film.

But is the romcom happening?

No, I would love to work with him in the future again, but that romcom is not happening.

Why did you feel the need to do a different sort of film?

The story and the subject intrigued me. I love watching good stories and working in them. I have realised that more than anything else, it’s all about the story. I have always kept the story before my character. And the audience also gets excited when they see something novel and untapped.

What is it about Article 15 that appealed to you?

It was the subject to begin with — an outsider’s perspective about rampant caste discrimination in our country. Frankly, nobody has spoken about the caste system in Indian cinema before. So that was a new thing for me.

The actor with co-star Manoj Pahwa in a still from Article 15

Caste discrimination is a sensitive subject and there will always be a section of people who would take objection to it. In fact, there was a controversy with Article 15 as well. How do you deal with that?

Somebody has to take that first step. People are sensitive about their own communities. They should realise many of them have been insensitive towards the underprivileged since time immemorial. This is the right time, the right era to talk about it and take a step forward. Change will not happen immediately but it will trigger a conversation. Those communities should realise that the film has been cleared by the Censor Board, which is a body set up by the government. They should watch the film to begin with and they will realise there is nothing in it against them. The same thing happened with Padmaavat. Watch the film and then if there is something objectionable, protest. Then at least it’s fair.

How did the guy who played light-hearted roles in slice-of-life films such as Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan and Bareilly Ki Barfi transform into an intense cop for this film?

I think it’s just this other side of mine. I have done theatre for five-six years and in most of my plays, I have played characters that were intense or aggressive. That side of mine had not been explored in cinema. This film gave me the opportunity to showcase that side of mine. But, I feel there is still a long way to go and I’m in no hurry to change my character in every film. I think you need to establish yourself in a particular genre to break out of that and then, the audience gets shocked or surprised.

Ayushmann Khurrana

You also met real cops in preparation for the role?

I play an IPS officer in the film and fortunately, I have been in touch with a lot of IPS officers. Senior IPS officer Manoj Malviya is a good friend of mine. He’s from Kolkata but has now shifted to Delhi. I have imbibed his body language and the way he walks.

Cinema is seen as a medium for change. Do you believe actors have a social responsibility when it comes to being part of stories that initiate conversations?

It depends on your personal belief. You cannot be forcing a particular belief on people if you don’t believe in it yourself. I’m not doing this movie for the heck of it, or because I want to win brownie points from the critics. I believe in this subject. I have been following and reading about scavengers, Dalit Literature and caste discrimination that has been prevalent in our country since time immemorial. I have been supporting an NGO called Gulmeher that works towards extracting the creative side of ragpickers of East Delhi. That time, Article 15 was not even in the picture. Last year too, most of my Diwali gifts comprised artifacts made by them. So it’s something I believe in. Of course, it’s my social responsibility, but you really can’t be taking out a campaign about it unless you have an idea about it. To each his own. If I don’t have an idea about X subject and I’m doing a film about it, then I’m cheating the audience. I have been doing street theatre since college days. Most of the subjects we dealt with there were social subjects and taboo topics. This is kind of an extension of my street-theatre days. That’s where I’m coming from.