Ayushmann Khurrana: Hard to be professional around your idol

Fan boy first, co-star later, Ayushmann Khurrana discusses working with Amitabh Bachchan in his latest release, Gulabo Sitabo.

For Ayushmann Khurrana, Gulabo Sitabo is the realisation of his long-standing dream of working with his favourite actor. With the Shoojit Sircar-directed venture bypassing a theatrical release for a world premiere on Amazon Prime Video, the dream may not have played out on a 70 mm screen. But that hardly diminishes its magic.

"After Dum Laga Ke Haisha [2015] released, Mr [Amitabh] Bachchan sent me a personalised note, appreciating the nuances of my performance. When I won the National Award for AndhaDhun [2018], he sent a beautiful message," recounts Khurrana, believing that these moments were only leading up to Gulabo Sitabo, his first collaboration with the megastar. "It-s hard to be a professional actor around your screen idol. I am glad he wasn-t playing himself — the alpha male with a [deep] baritone. He was playing a character, wearing deceitful make-up. So, there wasn-t a hint of the legend on set. But after pack-up every day, I would pinch myself to believe that I was, in fact, sharing screen space with him."

A still from Gulabo Sitabo

Written by Juhi Chaturvedi, the film thrives on the chemistry of its central characters — Bachchan as the cantankerous landlord Mirza, and Khurrana, his miserly tenant Baanke. "I had previously shot Bala in Lucknow. But on this set, I had to switch to a different accent, one that-s typical of old Lucknow. My character in Bala had the Kanpuriya twang," he reflects.

The slice-of-life film marks Khurrana-s reunion with Sircar, the director who started it all for him with Vicky Donor 2012. The actor is glad to shift gears from his previous offerings, under the guidance of his mentor. "I owe him my career. So, if he offers me a passing role in his film, I will do it. He is my guru. I have been doing message-oriented films over the years. But this movie doesn-t offer social commentary. It-s a pure form of cinema that doesn-t commit to norms."

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