16 September,2019 05:00 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
File image of Ayushmann Khurrana. Image sourced from mid-day archives
Ayushmann Khurrana carved an image for himself for someone who does unconventional roles, right from his debut vehicle Vicky Donor, that saw him playing the role of a sperm donor. Though he saw three consecutive flops with Nautanki Saala (2013), Bewakoofiyaan (2014) and Hawaizaada (2015), his fourth film turned out to be a game-changer of sorts for his career. Khurrana's Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) brought him back to the "critics and audience's favourite" club!
His next film Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), that starred his Dum Laga Ke Haisha co-star Bhumi Pednekar as a newly engaged man suffering from erectile dysfunction too got him accolades, followed by Andhadhun, for which he bagged the National Award for best actor.
Even the actor's latest release Dream Girl is no different. In the romantic comedy, Ayushmann essays the role of a young man imitating female voices which leads to hilarious results. As Dream Girl continues its dream run at the box office, we take some of the actor's big commercial hits.
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Badhaai Ho poster
The romantic comedy was his first film that grossed 200 crores globally and tops the actor's chart. Badhaai Ho featured him as the son of an elderly couple (played by Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao) who find out they would be turning parents for the third time. In its 1st week, the film collected Rs 66.10 crore, followed by Rs 28.15 crore in its 2nd week and Rs 9.75 crore in its 3rd weekend.
By the end of the day, the comedy-drama had minted more than Rs 200 crore. Not just the audience, the film also lightened the awards street, grabbing multiple awards. The movie grabbed the Best Popular Film Award at the National Film Awards and Ayushmann's co-star Surekha Sikri won the award for Best Supporting Actress
Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte in a still from Andhadhun
Andhadhun, which too released in 2018, is Ayushmann's second-highest grosser after Badhaai Ho. The film managed to collect Rs 94 crore in India. The movie revolves around the story of a blind piano artist (Ayushmann) showcasing facades of his love story. However, life takes a sharp turn as he gets caught in the world of tragedies.
And if you think the box office collection is less, think again! While it missed the 100 crore mark by a whisker, Andhadhun created history in China. The film grossed Rs 303.36 crore in our neighbourhood, making it the third highest-grossing Indian film (behind Dangal and Secret Superstar) in the Asian country.
So when Andhadhun gave Ayushmann his first National Film Award, no one was surprised.
Article 15 comes third in the list of Ayushmann's highest-grossing films. This film was not a comedy or a romantic drama, but a film that was loosely based on real-life incidents. Article 15 featured Ayushmann in a never-seen-before cop avatar with a heroic element to the character. As a senior police officer, Ayushmann has to solve a rape case tackling issues like honour killing, caste discrimination and police brutality with sensitivity.
His no-nonsense character got appreciation from the audience, as Article 15 minted a total of Rs 65.45 crores. Adding a total of two million collections overseas, the cop drama ended its run with Rs 91.41 crore (gross) in its kitty.
Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan poster
Ayushmann's fourth major hit, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan cemented Ayushmann as an epitome of path-breaking films. The film revolved around Mudit Sharma (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) a Gurgaon boy with a marketing job who falls in for Sugandha and later when the duo tries to get intimate, then a shy Mudit reveals about his problem of erectile dysfunction. He then tries different ways to solve the problem.
The 2017 release received universal critical acclaim. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan collected a total of Rs 64.54 crores and was a commercial success. Ayushmann also received a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor.
A still from Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Dum Laga Ke Haisa marked the debut of Bhumi Pednekar and was the first hit of Ayushmann after a gap of three years. Before this, the actor had delivered duds like Nautanki Saala, Bewakoofiyaan and Hawaizaada. After Vicky Donor, DLKH was Khurrana's another path-breaking film in which he played the role of an overweight girl's husband. The 2015 romantic comedy film revolved around a boy named Prem (essayed by Ayushmann), a school dropout, who hesitantly marries an educated but overweight girl, Sandhya. The couple comes closer when they take part in a race, which involves Prem carrying Sandhya on his back.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha managed to earn a lifetime total of Rs 30 crores and was declared a hit. The film also managed to grab National Film Award for the Best Feature Film in Hindi.
So just like his past five big hits, Dream Girl is set to keep Ayushmann's record of delivering clutter-breaking box office hits in check. The film is currently standing as Rs 59.40 crore collection (till September 17). Will you think Dream Girl will emerge as his biggest career hit? Shoot your opinion in the comment section below.
Also Read: Seven reasons why Ayushmann Khurrana's Dream Girl is a must-watch
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