It's good to be offbeat: Ayushmann Khurrana

Ayushmann Khurrana, who has featured in films on sperm donation and erectile dysfunction, says being offbeat and experimenting with new roles is always a good idea as nothing is "safe" in the film industry. "It is important to give something which is odd which is something off-center, which is unique to the audience this day because they are always looking for something new," he says.

"I am glad that I'm getting scripts like Badhai Ho and getting to work for Sriram Raghavan who is a master of thrillers. You need to create a niche for yourself. I ensure that I keep working hard and investing on my talent. That's something everybody who aspires to make their dream come true in life, must do," says the actor, whose last two releases Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan both did well at the box office.

As an actor, Ayushmann caught the audience's attention with his debut film Vicky Donor, and he also impressed with his performance in Dum Laga Ke Haisha.

Was there ever a situation when he felt like giving up? "You know I have been rejected a lot of times in the auditions even on reality shows, but then of course, I never thought of giving up. The idea is to keep investing in your talent to shine and succeed in life. Fortunately, this is currently the best era of Indian film industry or music industry because talents are getting promoted in every walks of life." says the actor-cum-singer.

Ayushmann says his failures made him stronger. "I started as a video jockey in 2008, became an actor in 2012 and in the five years I've been in the industry, I have seen both highs and lows. Success is fickle, and failure is your friend, philosopher, and guide. It's a great teacher," he says.

Ayushmann is currently a part of Parachute Jasmine's Love Jatao, Shine Jagao campaign, which intends to make people realise that when you invest in something and show love to it, it shines. "I completely and totally relate to the campaign because it is more like an opportunity given to aspiring artists who have no background in films and music and it will create people who are self-made. I was an aspiring singer and an aspiring artiste once, and what helped me to shine in my life was when I truly started investing on my talent," says the actor.

He also says his father gave him a much-needed push. "He is the one who discovered this performer in me. He is the one converted this introvert into a people's person. So, I owe a lot to him and he is the one who made me join Hindustani classical vocals when I was just playing cricket all the time. He was the one who channeled my energies and I owe my shining moments in life to him."