Ayushmann Khurrana, who is riding high on the success of Thamma, is all set to kick-start the shoot of his next with Sooraj Barjatya on November 1. Also starring Sharvari, it’s touted to be a romantic
family entertainer and will have the trademark Rajshri Productions’ stamp. Speaking exclusively to News18 Showsha, Khurrana expresses his excitement about collaborating with the Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun director for the first time. “It was a part of my bucket list to work with sir,” he tells us.
Khurrana believes that despite delivering some of the biggest hits of Bollywood, Barjatya remains down-to-earth and that’s what makes him stand out. “He’s a very noble man. I touch his feet whenever I meet him. He gives that kind of a vibe and I want to give that energy back to him as a student of cinema. The best part is that he’s a master of cinema but he still believes that he’s a student, which is really beautiful. He’s away from this circus around us,” he says.
He further continues, “He’s a very simple man. And that simplicity and purity is very rare after seeing so much success. He’s one of the most successful filmmakers in the country. He actually has a ten-on-ten record at the box office. With that kind of success rate, to be able to maintain simplicity and vulnerability is very rare. That’s something I also want to get inspired from. Even his office is so simple and pure with no fanciness.”
There’s a thread of commonality between Khurrana and Barjatya, the men they’ve portrayed don’t adhere to the stereotypes of a quintessential larger-than-life hero. Instead, they’re poster boys for soft masculinity, often voicing their strength quietly. However, Thamma brought to the fore a version of Khurrana we haven’t seen before. In his words, it’s his most ‘alpha’ character. And while he has enjoyed playing vulnerable men in the past, he equally enjoyed playing a superhero in Thamma.
“I was actually forward to doing something like this. I’ve played boyish characters in most of my films. This one is a coming-of-age part. He’s an alpha or a sigma and that has that hero-like physique and demeanour. In the first half, I play a guy-next-door but in the second part, I become Betal or Thamma, a man with super powers. I’m looking forward to seeing my character with these powers in the films to come in the MHCU,” remarks Khurrana.
The Dream Girl and Vicky Donor actor, in fact, reveals that he started his acting career with playing strong male characters with undeniable strength, a path he eventually digressed from when he forayed into Bollywood. “I’ve played very powerful parts in my theatre days in Chandigarh. But I’ve taken a realistic route when it comes to my filmography. But Thamma is something fantastical and out-of-the-box. I was quite intrigued about it and I’m glad that people have accepted it,” he states.
