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In a league of his own

More than the fact that Chandigarh boy Ayushmann Khurrana is an actor par excellence, there is something else that the list of 66th National Film Awards proved. His walking away with a National Award for Andhadhun proved that the already narrow gap between mainstream and offbeat is getting narrower by the day.

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Manpriya Singh

More than the fact that Chandigarh boy Ayushmann Khurrana is an actor par excellence, there is something else that the list of 66th National Film Awards proved.  His walking away with a National Award for Andhadhun proved that the already narrow gap between mainstream and offbeat is getting narrower by the day. 

The good actors are the ones who display a range, make bold choices and choose a script that is offbeat, but still connects.  Exactly what the statement read from the actor, “It is truly humbling and hugely gratifying to win the coveted National Award. As an artiste, I have always tried to back content that stands out for its quality. Today’s honour is a validation of my hard work, my belief system, my journey in movies and my reason to be an actor in the first place. Over and above my personal win, I’m thrilled that both the films that I have done — Andhadhun and Badhaai Ho — have won at the prestigious National Awards. It again validates that people of our country want to see cinema that entertains, that they can cherish, discuss and endorse.”

New genre of cinema

“Andhadhun is a path-breaking film and Sriram Raghavan deserves all the accolades for creating a new genre of cinema for Indian audiences to enjoy. I have been truly fortunate to be a part of Sriram Raghavan’s vision and congratulate my director for his genius. As an artist, Andhadhun challenged me and I strongly feel it made me a better actor. “

“With Badhaai Ho again I took up a taboo topic because I believed that people would be okay to see this kind of cinema. I’m glad that a subject like Badhaai Ho also won big today and I congratulate my director Amit Sharma for his breakthrough script, which became a talking point in every household. It was a pleasure to collaborate with a forward-looking creative mind like him and again disrupt the stereotyped notions of what Hindi cinema should be. I will continue on this journey to discover and back cinema that truly stands apart and brings people back to the theatres.”  

Happy space

A long while ago when asked about one of the biggest fear he harboured, Ayushmann Khurrana spoke about being able to choose the right scripts, along with that how to figure out the pulse of the audience and stay relevant. After all, he was the guy who entered the scene as ‘sperm donor’ in his debut film. This was no guitar-strumming, heartthrob launch pad star kids usually have. To make things worse, he didn’t look like a mainstream hero either. 

The following films didn’t help that image any further.  An ordinary man plagued with random issues, all unglamorous to the core. Imagine a cassette shop owner married to a fat girl, a man with erectile dysfunction, the typical West Delhi guy whose parents are expecting Just imagine! A piano player who fakes blindness and gets embroiled in a murder in Andhadhun is by far his most glam avatar, followed by Article 15 that sees him as a cop.  He plays a bald man in his upcoming Bala. The journey continues… 

manpriya@tribunemail.com

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