‘I will always be a Chandigarh boy: Ayushmann Khurrana

Chandigarh lad Ayushmann Khurrana is back to the place where he belongs and has had the happiest of times. The shining star of Bollywood is balancing personal and professional life through the pandemic. As he gets set to don a completely new avatar, Ayushmann opens up about how he is kicked about playing a cross-functional athlete and what his family means to him.

You grew up in Chandigarh. Now that you are back to the city as a star and see your pictures in papers, how do you feel?

I truly enjoy coming to Chandigarh. I don’t think it even occurs to me that I am a star now. This city is home and when I meet the people here, I get so much love. I love how they care about me. I will always be a Chandigarh boy. This time around, my visit here has been more relaxed. I have been working non-stop though — reading scripts, holding meetings over video calls and planning my next steps, but it’s just great to be with my full family and soaking in this precious quality time with them. I have also been cycling around the city, revisiting places, going through bylanes and refreshing all the lovely memories.

A house where all the Khuranas will be staying must be a dream for you all, share your feelings...

All of us have actually been talking about buying a house for a while. It was the need of the hour for us and also an emotional decision. Now that Apar is married and Tahira and I have children, there was a need for more space. We all decided that the children should also get the feel of living together as a family, which they missed in Mumbai. So we have jointly invested in a bigger house. We are really happy to find something that we all loved.

Does that mean Chandigarh will see more of you now?

I try and come to Chandigarh as many times as possible. It is a very special place. I am happy to come back as much as I can. But the last two-three years have been really busy with back-to-back shoots, releases and travels. However, I am not complaining. Life has been kind so far and I’m grateful.

How has the lockdown been for you personally? Any new lesson learnt?

My family has that calming, rooting quality that helps you navigate everything, every crisis in life. My family is a rock and my wife is truly a rockstar. I think we all have been there for each other in our own ways, helping each other to adjust to the new normal. I have loved spending time with my wife and kids, and it’s really precious for me because my hectic work schedule really doesn’t allow me to be with them as much as I want to. This pandemic is telling us that sustainability should be the centre-point of all conversations going forward.

How has the experience of shooting in Chandigarh during the pandemic been?

I have shot multiple things while being in my hometown and it has been super-smooth. It’s really refreshing to be on the sets. It took some time to get used to and control the paranoia of the virus, but I think I’m fully focused on work now, of course, with all safety measures.

Can you tell us something about Abhishek Kapoor’s next project where you will be playing a cross-functional athlete?

Abhishek has a very distinct voice in cinema today and I’m glad that we finally got the opportunity to collaborate on a project that’s exceedingly close to my heart. It is a beautiful, progressive love story that will also touch your hearts. I’m supremely excited about the physical transformation that I will have to undergo. It will present me in an all-new avatar. — TNS