'I chose theatre over music'

Candid talk

A few years later, one may remember Ayushmann Khurrana as an actor, singer, theatre artiste or a television anchor but the illustrious multi-tasker will always carry the prefix of ‘the Vicky Donor actor’ wherever he goes. 

One who firmly believes in the importance of debut films for the growth of an actor, he turned down a number of offers since he didn’t want to be stymied to secondary roles and patiently waited before signing  ‘Vicky Donor’, his first film and big break. He let his creativity mature in the process and accepted the script when it fell into his lap. “An actor’s launchpad is always important,” he says.  “I signed up ‘Vicky Donor’ after being driven by a personal experience. I also believe that the storyline needs attention in India. Also, the script was clean, which is always the main hero of every film.”

And just like how ‘Vicky Donor’ has made waves in the creative, critical extension and commercial space, he is happy that contemporary movies such as ‘Queen’ and ‘Masaan’ have received their due in both these arenas. “These two spaces are no longer watertight compartments and this is a good trend.”

Recently seen in the City for the ‘Support My School’ campaign, it is not his first time in Bengaluru and he is only too happy to be back in a City, where he can enjoy the magnetic vibe, fall and blend into the melting pot of various cultures and enjoy the pleasant weather. “This is one of my favo­urite cities. I can speak a bit of Kannada,” he laughs.

The actor, who strummed and sang two compositions, recalls his college days with enthusiasm.That was the time when his stint with music started. He was a juggler between music, theatre and street plays and was torn between theatre and music. “I had to choose between the two. I chose theatre over music. I felt that the former would give me a wholesome experience. I have always believed that I am an actor who can sing and not a singer who can act.”

Though the two schools are quite different from each other, he is glad that he stepped into acting from a theatre background. It has made him confident and aware of the basics of acting. He feels that acting on stage has brought in a sense of discipline when he is on the sets and the body language of theatre has helped him add finesse to his characters on screen. “In films, an actor has to be very subtle and concentrate on finer expressions while theatre deals with long shots, higher octaves and acting that is obvious.”

Though his successive films, such as ‘Bewakoofiyaan’ and ‘Hawaizaada’, didn’t hit the box office records as they lacked the joie-de-vivre that ‘Vicky Donor’ contained, Ayushmann still believes in going against the grain and is not even close to giving up. He has signed a film with ‘Yash Raj Productions’ and is reading different kinds of scripts. “I would love to portray Shah Rukh Khan’s character from ‘Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Naa’, someday!” he says.