Amid the raging nepotism debate in Bollywood, the one person who comes out shining and unscathed is Ayushmann Khurrana -- the only Indian actor to be named in Time's 100 Most Influential this year. In her essay for Time's, colleague Deepika Padukone writes that while Khurrana officially entered the film industry with his debut Vicky Donor, he had been part of the entertainment industry in various capacities till that point. But one thing that stands out about Khurrana is the impact he has had through his iconic characters that challenge every stereotype imaginable.
Suffice to say that from a Roadies contestant in 2004 to be named one of Time's 100 Most Influential in 2020, Khurrana's journey has been nothing short of memorable. The only other actor in recent memory who was an 'outsider' but went on to become one of the biggest stars in the country is Shah Rukh Khan.
But why does Ayushmann Khurrana stand out? It is, perhaps, mostly because today's youth is too young to recall SRK's television days when he charmed his way into the audience's heart through his portrayal of Lt. Abhimanyu Rai in Fauji (1989) and Shekharan Rai in Circus (1989). Once he moved to films, SRK recreated the anti-hero in his iconic roles in Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993) and Anjaam (1994) before he took on romantic leads and went on to bring in focus the lover boy instead of the macho man.
Like SRK, pushing the envelope has also been Khurrana's strong suit. Khurrana also broke off the mould of a typical Bollywood macho hero and took on roles challenging stereotypes such as a sperm donor, a young guy with erectile dysfunction, a gay man, a bald guy, a man pretending to be blind, and a cross-gender actor. He also took on more serious roles like an honest cop. Khurrana's box office record shows that every time he decided to break off the stereotype, the audience showered him with immeasurable affection.
But before he became the star that he is today -- with a penchant and capability to challenge societal norms -- he was a Mass Communication student from Punjab University. When he auditioned for Roadies Season 2 in 2004, he was told by judge Raghu Ram that his fake smile, put-on charm, his mannerisms is not really Ayushmann. But Raghu would go on to eat his words in a few years as Khurrana's mannerism and charm would make its way to the heart of the Indian audience. However, accolades were still a few years away from the time of the Roadies audition.
Khurrana went on to work on multiple MTV shows after winning Roadies Season 2, including Fully Faltoo Movies, Cheque De India and Jaadoo Ek Baar. He also hosted multiple television shows including India's Got Talent and Music Ka Maha Muqqabla, MTV Rock On, Extra Innings T20 for Indian Premier League Season 3, and Just Dance.
Things, however, changed for the better in 2012 when he debuted in Vicky Donor. His unusual role and rendition of Pani Da Rang wooed the Indian viewers. But his fiery debut was followed by a string of passable films including Nautanki Saala! (2013), Bewakoofiyaan (2014) and Hawaizaada (2015). It is again with 2015's Dum Laga Ke Haisha that Khurrana came back into focus. Except for Meri Pyari Bindu (2017), Khurrana released one hit after another from there on.
Khurrana's filmography includes movies like Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), Andhadhun (2018), Badhaai Ho (2018), Article 15 (2019), Dream Girl (2019), Bala (2019), Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) and Gulabo Sitabo (2020). With memorable movies such as these, Khurrana lapped up one award after another. He received the National Award for his role in Andhadhun.
Not only an actor, Khurrana is also a musician and lyricist. He had received multiple awards, including a Filmfare, for his song Pani Da Rang.
Notwithstanding his talent, again, why does Ayushmann Khurrana stand out? It is not only because his rise to stardom unfolded in front of our very eyes but as Padukone says, "Where male protagonist roles often fall into the trap of stereotypical masculinity, Ayushmann has successfully and convincingly transformed into characters who challenge those very stereotypes."
Also read: Ayushmann Khurrana makes it to Time's 100 most influential list; Deepika Padukone praises actor's hardwork