Ayushmann Khurrana & Unorthodox Choices Go Hand In Hand

Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15  already promises  to take  Ayushmann Khurrana’s  career  to  another level even  before release. He plays a cop determined to bring justice to the socio-economically challenged in an oppressed village of  Uttar Pradesh. With upper caste  communities  up in arms  against the  film , it already promises  to be yet another special film  in Ayushmann’s  gloriously  ignited career. Here is  the ones that made a  difference.

1.     Vicky Donor(2012): Playing a sperm  donor  in his debut film  Ayushmann  proved at the outset how brave  he  can be in his  choices as an actor. No Indian actor had ever dabbled in  the  “s” word before. Ayushmann proved fertility was not just state  of  the mind but also a condition  of the loin. Yup, this ‘loin’ was  going to roar  so hard it’d be hard to ignore.

2.     Hawaizaada(2015): Not many  people saw this beautifully mounted film recreating the life of   Shivkar Baupiji Talpade  the man who built   the first unmanned  plane in India. A handsomely mounted period film with the colours and vibrancy  of a  Sanjau Bhansli  epic,   directed by Viibhu Puri this film was again an  early indication  of  how different the course of Khurrana’s career was going to be,

3.     Dum Lagake Haisha(2015): The  minute Ayushmann picked up the  oversized Bhumi Pednekar on his shoulder and  runs  for his dear wife, we knew  he was a lambi race ka ghoda. In this  Sharat Kataria  film Khurrana was  the reluctant workingclass husband in Hardwar who  learns  to respect and  love his wife. We  learnt to love films about smalltown heroes  from Ayushmann.

4.     Shubh Mangal Savdhan(2017): From over-fertile to sexually dysfunctional Ayushmann is  a hero who likes to show the  the vulnerable side  of screen heroism. In this  film he played a  man who…well…couldn’t rise to the occasion.Did Ayushmaan flinch? No!  But we  cringe each time we see a packet  of glucose  biscuits.Soggy was  never the same  again.

5.     Andha Dhun(2018); the  biggest hit of Khurrana’s career so far, in Sriram Raghavan’s exquisitely conceptualized  whodunit  the actor played a  pianist who plays  blind. Till the end we are  not sure if Khurrana is  just faking it.  Ambivalent heroism  came into vogue with Ayushmann Khurrana.  So did human frailty,  Ayushmann says it’s  okay to be weak. Someone has  got to be the  other side of strong.

6.     Badhaai Ho(2018): Another  workingclass  blockbuster this one featured Ayushmann as  the  eldest son  of  a family coping with the  embarrassment  of  a pregnant mother at an age when she’s supposed to attend bhajan  mandalis .Ayushmann portrayed the character’s journey from mortification to  pride in pitch-perfect harmony.

7.     Article 15(2019): Playing a cop who is  both heroic and vulnerable, committed and confused,violent  yet sensitive,  righteous yet flawed , is not  easy. Ayushmann Khurran nails it in this masterly study of caste  oppression set against the  backdrop of socio-economic  backwardness thar fosters  inequality.  Khurrana’s cop-hero won’t tolerate  looming injustice. He  is the kind of  believable hero the Indian middleclass needs. He is Everyman  and yet like no man we’ve seen on  screen.

8. Dream  Girl(2019): Ayushmann plays Karam a.k.a Pooja  a phone pleasuring  service,  a  ‘call’ girl if you sleaze…sorry, please.His exprressions  of self-joy as  he  speaks  in a girl’s voice with  expressions  to match  , with various  lusting admirers,  is  the stuff Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie and Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire would approve  of. Lage raho, Ayushmann.There’s lots more where that is coming  from.