Ayushmann Khurrana: Redefining heroism in Bollywood

From sperm donation to erectile dysfunction, Ayushmann Khurrana has become the poster boy of the unconventional film. The actor has no fear of being typecast in a certain genre, but believes in redefining the image of  a hero in Bollywood films.

Ayushmann is known for acting in films that make statements or send out social messages. Asked if he is bothered about his image of playing boy-next-door characters who deal with practical problems, the actor says, "No, I do not think so. Isn't it more heroic that I can connect and reach out to the audience with a topic that others might fear to narrate? I think you have to be really secure as a man to play a character like Mudit (in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan) who is still loved by his girlfriend despite having erectile dysfunction disorder."

Ayushmann, who has featured in films like Nautanki Saala, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Meri Pyaari Bindu and the latest Bareilly Ki Barfi, says he too wants to play characters that are larger than life "like A-list stars or heroes in commercial cinema do. In fact, with Sriram Raghavan's upcoming film, I am changing gears to play a dark character, something I've always wanted to do. I can portray different characters, but with the right script and right director," he adds.

For Ayushmann, playing a man with erectile dysfunction was an interesting process as there was no reference point to it. "Since I've donated sperm in real life, I had a reference point when I acted in Vicky Donor. But erectile dysfunction is one of those problems that people do not talk about. I do not know if any of my friends or acquaintance are dealing with this issue. So, I had no reference point to play the character. It was quite an interesting process," he says.