Actor Ayushmann Khurrana has completed 10 years in the Hindi film industry today. It was on April 20, 2012, that his maiden venture, 'Vicky Donor' had hit the screens to both commercial and critical acclaim, paving the way for him to establish himself as the new poster boy of the content-rich cinema in India In the past decade, many of his social entertainers turned out to be blockbusters triggering national debate o different issues. Voted as one of the ‘most influential people in the world by the prestigious Time magazine, Khurrana feels ‘being an inveterate risk-taker of scripts and roles is the key to his soaring success.
Khurrana, who has delivered smash hits like 'Vicky Donor', 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan', 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha', 'Badhaai Ho', 'Bala', 'Article 15', 'Dream Girl', 'Andhadhun', to name a few, in the past decade in cinema, says, “It has been an exhilarating decade in cinema for me. For someone with absolutely no connection, no in-roads in the Hindi film industry, I find myself grateful today that I found quality mentors who believed in me more than I believed in myself at the start of my career and guided me to where I’m today.”
He adds, “If I had to describe my decade in cinema, I would say that being a purist to my craft, being an unhinged risk-taker worked for me because I walked the path less travelled. Today, when I look back at my body of work, I’m deeply proud of my decisions. I think I have always been adamant about finding the best films and that decision has been the most rewarding one for my career.”
Khurrana’s cult classic 'Vicky Donor', directed by filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, presented a new brand of hero, someone who was relatable, flawed yet had will power to rise up against the odds to present a strong moral compass. It made Khurrana an overnight sensation.
Khurrana says, “Today, I’m reminded of filming 'Vicky Donor', a film that became my calling card to the industry about the movies that I would like to back. I’m thankful to Shoojit da, Ronnie Lahiri and John Abraham for trusting a rookie like me to headline a project that is now being called a generation-defining film. I’m slightly emotional about today and feeling very nostalgic.”
He adds, “It brings back a deluge of fond memories, reminds me of my days of struggle, exasperation, determination, small joys and big successes. It has further reinforced my belief about never picking safe scripts. I think audiences have a certain expectation from my brand of cinema today and I hope to entertain them thoroughly throughout my career in movies. I thank every filmmaker who took a punt on me. I’m who I’m today because of them and all the films that I have done.”
Khurrana has a stellar line-up of films in 2022. He will be next seen in filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s 'Anek' scheduled to release on May 27, filmmaker Anubhuti Kashyap’s 'Doctor G' and filmmaker Aanand L Rai’s production venture 'Action Hero', being directed by debutant filmmaker Anirudh Iyer.
