Ayushmann Khurrana on Shubh Mangal Saavdhan: 'There's more to masculinity than just getting it up'

The success of Bareilly Ki Barfi is writ large on Ayushmann Khurrana’s face, bringing back loads of confidence and, evidently, a spring in his steps. The film has been appreciated by one and all, including Amitabh Bachchan and I & B Minister, Smriti Irani. “I am really happy that Bareilly worked, and it picked up with the word of mouth,” says Ayushmann. He sounds even more excited about his upcoming film Shubh Mangal Saavdhan – a quirky romantic comedy — story of a husband and wife coming to terms with the former’s erectile dysfunction. The actor, who became an instant sensation with his debut film, Vicky Donor, feels life has come full circle with Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (releasing this Friday). [caption id=“attachment_3897077” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] A screengrab from Shubh Mangal Savdhaan trailer.[/caption] “There is a running joke online that after five years of sperm donation, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan has happened to Vicky Donor. The casting works perfectly for the film,” guffaws Ayushmann. He then adds, “we are also trying to give out the message that we need to talk about sexual problems among men, something that is considered taboo. If we can talk about the gynecological problems of women, then why can’t we talk about performance anxiety among men? I haven’t come across a single man in my life who has spoken about these issues. Even two close friends don’t talk about it probably due to male ego. This film tries to kill that patriarchal mindset and convey that we are human, we may suffer from this ailment. It could just be a phase and can be treated. Sometimes you perform well in bed, sometimes you don’t.” However, Ayushmann says that it wasn’t easy playing the part and bringing forth the problem of a sexual disorder in a humorous manner. “To begin with, you have to be very secure as a man. Lot of people may think that he will be the poster boy of metamale in the country. But we have shown in the film that masculinity is not just about ‘getting it up’, it is about one’s character, how you treat a woman, about what kind of stand you take in the society. That is a great message to send across,”  he says. The actor recalls that he had jumped with excitement when he was approached for Shubh Mangal Savdhaan, a remake of the Tamil comedy Kalyana Samayal Saadham, which was already a success down south. Producer Aanand L Rai had roped in Tamil filmmaker R S Prasanna for the hindi remake; he had directed the original. “Prasanna returned to me after three years with a perfect script when I was shooting in Lucknow for Bareilly, and though I am not a very impulsive person, that one line, the germ of the film was so strong and I went ahead with it,” says Ayushmann. Perhaps, one of the many factors that makes the film look so promising is the pairing of Bhumi Pednekar and Ayushmann Khurrana, who redefined Bollywood romance in their film Dum Laga Ke Haishaa. [caption id=“attachment_2565232” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Bhumi and Ayushmann in Dum Laga Ke Haisha.[/caption] Their chemistry had worked like magic and fans were left asking for more. Says Ayushmann, “Real life husband-wife may not look that desirable on screen together, whereas two friends, or colleagues may look attractive together. So you cannot define how chemistry works and that is the thing between Bhumi and I. We were just colleagues in Dum Lagake and we became good friends during Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. Even the picture of us together looks good.” It is possibly a coincidence that both Ayushmann and Bhumi recently had back to back releases, and both films found favourable response at the box office. “The cumulative positivity of Bareilly and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha will have a positive effect on Shubh Mangal Savdhaan” smiles Ayushmann.

Ayushmann’s acting repertoire indicates his penchant for unconventional characters. He is possibly skeptical about choosing conventional roles as this is not the first time he has opted for something out-of-the-box.

His filmography also includes Nautanki Saala, Bewakoofiyaan, Hawaizaada and the critically acclaimed 2015 movie Dum Laga Ke Haisha. “I guess you have to be a disruptor when it comes to entertainment, or any field, so that people are interested to watch you. These days we can consume far more quirky and edgy content in the digital space and if we want to compete with that then we have to be different in cinema because people pay to see that. That makes more challenging for the directors and actors to push the envelope. I firmly believe that Bareilly is a generic concept but it is executed in a real way and hence people could connect to it,” he says. Ayushmann’s next film is Sriram Raghavan’s thriller Shoot The Piano Player, and the actor claims the film will send a chill down our spine. “I will be playing a dark character for the first time and shifting the gear from slice of life films to something unusual. It is very exciting time for me as an actor. You just create a space for yourself. It is not necessary that you have to be a superstar. If everybody is running towards super stardom then somebody has to be there to do their own thing. The clutter is less and there is lot of resonance with the audience because I normally do realistic small town characters and 70 per cent of our nation is dwelling in small towns,” he says, adding, " but at the same time I am not saying that I am not doing urban films. Sriram Raghavan’s film is an urban film.” Is there any role the actor-singer aspires for? “Of playing a typical hero in a commercial masala film,” pat comes the reply.