When a newcomer showed Bollywood that it is okay to put offbeat and taboo content on the big screen
Over the last 10-15 years, the Indian film industry
has produced several outstanding young talents. Ayushmaan Khurrana, who is turning 41 this September, was a 28-year-old youngster when he made his Bollywood debut with ‘Vicky Donor’ that raised eyebrows across society for blatantly putting a heavily taboo subject, i.e., sperm donation, on the big screens.
However, Khurrana’s fresh dose of acting, coupled with Shoojit Sircar’s way of presenting a matter considered private in a quirky and typical larger-than-life Delhi backdrop, kept the film going, slowly getting accepted in society.
Since the inception of the New Indian Cinema movement, directors and actors across the country have explored offbeat and taboo subjects. Unfortunately, none were commercial successes, coupled with trimming from the censor board, and some were even banned. However, Ayushmann Khurrana, even though he is not considered a star, made a statement that good content is king over masala commercial movies.
Man for the society
Khurrana has undoubtedly tried his best to bring about a change in society's approach to dealing with taboo subjects. Even though a portion of India is now embracing change and openly discussing subjects, there’s a majority that still follows the orthodox way.
(Credit: The Statesman)
Khurrana, with films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Badhaai Ho, Article 15, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Anek, and Doctor G, has successfully hit the orthodox society, forcing them to come out of their shy cocoons and mesh of backward thought processing that is often justified in the name of tradition and culture.
(Credit: The Statesman)
Doing so has at times put Khurrana in the bad books of many, getting tangled in controversies. Not to forget, some of his films did not do well commercially, suffering losses, but a determined Khurrana continues to choose scripts that aim to make a difference. It is all about delivering good content even if it is not watched by the majority and tanks at the Box Office.
Tangle of controversies
Speaking of controversies, Article 15 suffered the wrath of a certain community from Uttar Pradesh. However, Khurrana gave a strong statement stating, “I have noticed that there is a lot of controversy around Article 15. I would like to maintain to everyone who is protesting and claiming that the film is anti-Br##min, please see it. Our film does not take any sides, has no intention to showcase any community in bad light and it has been censored by the censor board who have their own set of guidelines of seeing a film.”
(Credit: The Citizen)
When Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui didn’t do well, Khurrana openly said, “I started with movies on taboo subjects. I suppose the type of subjects—it has to be a community viewing, and it has to have a wider film—the kids have also been watching. In fact, my last three films, including Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, really don't do well commercially because, unfortunately, our country is h*m*ph*bic.”
Even this statement was trolled, but Khurrana continued with Anek, An Action Hero, Dream Girl 2, and so on.
Cost of woke cinema
Doing woke cinema has made Khurrana a star in the eyes of the left and the moderate. In a country where this ideology is not followed by the majority, Khurrana has positioned himself among a particular kind of audience, but not a star for everybody. Yet, the 41-year-old actor wishes to stay on the path of experimentation with good content.
(Credit: GQ India)
Up next, Khurrana will be seen in Thama, a part of Maddock Horror comedy universe, which also addresses several societal issues while mixing horror with comedy.
