Ayushmann Khurrana on AndhaDhun: Sriram Raghavan ensures there's a twist every five minutes

During the release of Meri Pyaari Bindu, actor Ayushmann Khurrana, in an interview to Firstpost, had expressed his desire to fill up the slot that has been vacated by Amol Palekar. Films like Bareilly Ki Barfi, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and the soon-to-release _Badhaai Ho_ are clear indication that he meant every word of his statement. [caption id=“attachment_5302001” align=“alignnone” width=“1200”]  Ayushmann Khurrana in a still from AndhaDhun[/caption] It is uncanny that in 1981, Amol Palekar had acted in a murder mystery titled Plot No 5 and now with Andhadhun, the Vicky Donor actor has made his intentions crystal clear. Ayushmann plays the lead in Sriram Raghavan’s upcoming film _AndhaDhun_ , slated to hit theatres this week. During the entire conversation, Ayushmann tries his best to navigate and deviate when questions related to the plot are posed to him. When the intrigue factor of the promo is mentioned, he accepts that he is at loss for words. “I don’t know how to answer this. It’s essential for a Sriram Raghavan film that things are crooked and not straight. Everyone shown in the promo has some secret or the other. The question marks are important and it’s good that people are trying to figure out things. It’s a very unique promo for Indian cinema.” Ask him about the significance of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s poster behind an auto rickshaw and this time too, it is evident that he is in no mood to reveal much. “I can’t say anything about it. The problem with me is that I am acting in a thriller film for the first time in my career and I also have to answer your queries. Had it been a slice of life film, I would have answered but in this case, I can’t reveal anything. But these are the quirks of the film. Be it Aishwarya’s poster or Anil Dhawan’s retro style – if you don’t find such quirks in Sriram’s film then you won’t enjoy the film.” But the actor does reveal something about the plot which revolves around a murder. “The plot revolves around a blind man who witnesses a murder. Now how can a blind man witness a murder, carries a big question mark in itself. Normally if something happens around blind people, they get a sense that something is not right. This was one-line hook of the film which caught everyone’s attention.” The actor mentions that portraying a blind man for the film was a difficult task. He adds that the characters he normally plays in films have some references from real life but for Andhadhun, there were none. “Before I signed this film, there was not a single blind person I knew, so any reference for me was ruled out. I was just not interested in watching blind character portrayals in Bollywood and Hollywood films because it’s acting at the end of the day. To solve my problem, I went to the blind school at Worli and interacted with students there. I discovered their body language and got to know about the manner in which they use their stick. Playing the piano was the most challenging part as a blind pianist never looks at the keys while playing.” The actor believes that being a musician himself was also a trigger in Sriram to cast him for the role. [caption id=“attachment_5300611” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  Ayushmann Khurrana in a still from AndhaDhun[/caption] Remind him of the 1986 release Qatl which had Sanjeev Kumar in the role of a blind man who in the climax turns out to be otherwise and Ayushmann informs that in Andhadhun, viewers will get to witness a twist every five minute. “Now whether my character is blind or not will be revealed only after the film is viewed but I will say this again that Sriram has added his own quirks to the film. If the central character is not a blind man and if that is the suspense, then there is no point keeping it in the trailer. It’s much more than that and everything has a question mark.” Among the current crop of actors, Ayushmann has successfully carved his own niche with his repertoire of films. About his choice of films, he says that he deliberately opts for quirky subjects. “The film that I do are slightly off tangent. Such films get the audience because they have never such films before. These are films that people don’t generally talk about because they are taboo subjects. It’s very important to talk about these things. I don’t enjoy working till the time I get a hatke subject.” The actor mentions that till the time an actor does not dabble with different roles; he can’t really create a space of his own. “I am glad that I have made this space for myself and it’s a very brave choice that I have made. Every actor will think 10 times before committing to a film like Vicky Donor or Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. I am glad that I did Vicky Donor after it was rejected by so many actors. As someone who belongs to the film industry, it is my responsibility that people should at least start taking about taboo subjects. What I am doing is more of progressive cinema,” says the actor. The actor is also pleased about his brother Aparshakti’s newfound success in the film industry. After having proved his mettle in Dangal, his performance in _Stree_ too was vastly appreciated. “I am glad and proud of his choices. I had read the script of Stree earlier and I knew that something good was in the offing. I am happy that he is making good choices and is trying to make his own space in the industry." Ayushmann also reveals that they often discuss their scripts with each other. “We discuss everything as I feel it’s important. I would also love to do a film with him as his acting style is very different from mine. While I am subtle, he is in your face. It will be interesting to work together.” All images from YouTube. _(Also read — AndhaDhun music review: Amit Trivedi's intimate album shows the piano is an instrument of all seasons)_