Ayushmann Khurrana seems to have a knack for languages. The actor is currently learning Haryanvi for his forthcoming film Badhaai Ho! Before this, he picked up Bengali words and phrases for Meri Pyaari Bindu and apparently took Marathi lessons for Sriram Raghavan’s Shoot The Piano Player. In Badhaai Ho! he will speak three dialects. Ayushmann says, “Besides Hindi, I will need to speak in Haryanvi and also get a classic Meerut, Western Uttar Pradesh accent. I am looking forward to doing this and surprising the audience.”
The actor, who has also been a columnist, has a way with words. This skill coupled with the scripts, which he chooses, give him a chance to experiment. He says, “As an artiste, I love to play roles that are not only challenging and exciting but also help me to push the envelope. Trying to imbibe and speak the local lingo as well as emulate the nuances of people from different parts of India is a necessity for the kind of roles I like to essay.”
Badhaai Ho! sees Ayushmann sharing screen space for the first time with Dangal girl Sanya Malhotra. The film, directed by Amit Sharma, is a coming-of-age story of a family as it grapples with some unexpected news.
“Today’s audience loves real characters and wants to see actors become the characters they have to portray. For me, if I convince people to forget that they are seeing Ayushmann on screen and believe in the character I’m playing, then that is my biggest prize,” he says.
