Year of laurels and loss

Ayushmann Khurrana

When 2023 began, Ayushmann Khurrana focused on his only release of the year, Dream Girl 2, hoping for it to recreate the magic of its 2019 prequel. Twelve months on, as the year comes to a close, he has got that and more. The actor scored a Rs 100-crore hit in the August release. More importantly, he was featured in Time magazine's annual list of Most Influential People in the World and honoured with the Time Impact Award.

When we sit down for a conversation, an overwhelmed Khurrana says he will remember 2023 as a remarkable year on the professional front. "The year gave me a lot of love and respect, something an actor strives for continually. To be awarded by the prestigious Time magazine again for my cinematic choices was humbling. I proudly represented India and Indian cinema at an event that the entire world watched. For me, that's a massive personal milestone. I felt a lot of joy that our culture and cinema are making their presence felt in every corner of the world. To be recognised by Time twice in three years is unbelievable," he beams, adding that the award proves that he is headed in the right direction as an artiste. "I'm happy they think my work is contributing towards societal change." The actor's streak of making socially-conscious movies has been recognised by UNICEF as well, which appointed him as the National Ambassador for India in February.

Box-office success didn't elude him either as the Raaj Shaandilyaa-directed comedy became a hit. This is all the more cherished as his past few releases, including Doctor G (2022) and An Action Hero (2022), won praise but underperformed at the ticket counters. "Nothing tastes sweeter than box-office success. As actors, we live and die every Friday, and I'm glad that I could rejoice the Friday of Dream Girl 2's release."

While the year brought immense joy on the work front, the actor and his family suffered a personal loss. Khurrana, who lost his father P Khurrana in May, says his demise has left a void in their lives. "Personally, I have suffered great loss. I lost my father, we all lost our reason to smile. We had to hold each other to tide over the insurmountable sorrow."