'Being an actor-singer makes me a little different': Ayushmann Khurrana at IIFA 2018

This man has several feathers in his hat. A popular actor, singer and TV anchor, Ayushmann Khurrana rose to fame with his first film, opposite Yami Gautam, Vicky Donor. Since then, he has come a long way. He starred in films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Meri Pyarri Bindu and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan among others. These films were wecomed by the audience and his fans with open arms. On Friday, he brought the house down at IIFA 2018 which is being held in Bangkok this year.

The actor who has chiseled his way in Bollywood on his own and carved a name for himself in a span of just six years, says that he is loving his space in Bollywood. 

"I am loving my space in Bollywood. It is great to be associated with content-driven cinema and films which give a message in the end in an entertaining way. It's a great space to be in and also being in the space of being an actor-singer makes me a little different. It makes me carve my own niche in the industry," Ayushmann told IANS on the sidelines of IIFA Awards 2018.

When asked about his thoughts on not being a conventional Bollywood hero, the Bareilly Ki Barfi actor said, "Times have changed, the audiences have changed, the films have changed. Any character who is central to the theme of the film is actually the hero of the film."

The 33-year-old star believes that any role with the right amount of "quirk, spice and something unique" is going to engage the audience without a doubt. Since the time he began his film career in 2012, Ayushmann has featured in eight movies, all different from each other. But he said it was never a conscious choice to do genres as different as chalk and cheese.

"More than anything else, I choose the scripts which are like really different and unique. I think I am lucky that I am getting interesting scripts. The idea is to have unique scripts and then go for the character which you are playing," said Ayushmann.

In hindsight, Ayushmann said that he is happy that he began his career with a "radical script" like Vicky Donor, in which he played a sperm donor. "My last film (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan) was completely and diametrically different. From a sperm donor to a guy with erectile dysfunction. So, I have got the whole spectrum correct. I am glad I am getting to make these choices," he said.

So, there is a speck of realism in all films? "It's great to have real life references. Like you are playing some characters on-screen, you add a little bit of yourself in it and make it more believable and relatable. But at times there are no references because you have not gone through certain experiences. Then I think you have to be a keen observer of life. That's more important," he told the agency.

Ayushmann's upcoming projects are Shoot The Piano Player  which is titled Andhadhun in Hindi and Badhaai Ho. The former is a thriller by director Sriram Raghavan.

"He (Sriram Raghavan) is a thespian when it comes to thrillers. He is a very exciting filmmaker, and he is the one who does not believe in a fixed script and will improvise on the spot. It is very challenging to work with him and exciting at the same time."

As far as Badhaai Ho is concerned, he says it is "completely his space". "It is a quirky film. We have still not revealed the one-liner of the film. It is from the space that I own and I had a lot of fun shooting for it in Delhi," he added.

The actor hosted IIFA Rocks at the ongoing 19th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards along with Kartik Aaryan.

Performing live is something Ayushmann loves. He told IANS, "Live performance is instant gratification. You get to know about the audience instantly and improvise instantly. So, I think it has its own charm."

Ayushmann Khurrana started his career with the youth-based reality show Roadies in 2004.