“Bushy eyebrows and radio voice.” Ayushmann Khurrana was told he would not make it as an actor. Here he is today. Thanks to PinkVilla for the footage!
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00:00I told him, your eyebrows are too bushy. You cannot be a leading actor.
00:06And he was like, I want to just see your tool. I'll cast you if you do that.
00:14I said, don't go with plan A. I already have plan B, C, D ready.
00:20When was the first time when you came to Bombay and thought of becoming an actor?
00:23I think it was 2001 when I first came to Mumbai. It was for Popstar's reality show.
00:29And I eventually became the first backup singer for the band.
00:32And that was Asma for Channel V. And after that, I again came back in 2002
00:41with my theatre group for Mood Indigo, IIT Pugui.
00:45And there was a time when I decided that I would love to be an actor.
00:49And I was really excited. But of course, I had to complete my education, finish my graduation,
00:55became a roadie in 2004. And after that, my post-graduation as a journalist,
01:03mass communication for two years in 2006, I completed it. And then came to Mumbai again in 2006 to be an actor.
01:12But got selected in like one of the radio stations. And went to Maika Ahmedabad for three months, studied radio, did community radio in Ahmedabad.
01:22And then I was sent back to Delhi. Because they thought that my language is too Delhi and north, my connect was better over there.
01:30So, radio is all about local connect. It's nothing to do with like you will never see like a
01:34accented Maharashtrian speaking on radio in Delhi or vice versa.
01:39So, you have to know the city really well to be an RJ. So, I knew Delhi. So, I was sent back to Delhi.
01:45So, I became like a successful RJ in Delhi for two years. Came back to Bombay and MTV was looking for VJs.
01:52So, I joined MTV. So, it was, I don't think it was a struggle. It was a beautiful journey.
01:56Has it ever been like when you've gone for auditions and you face some rejection?
02:00Lot of times. Like unfit, fit. Aise bolte the na?
02:03Nee mujhe yeh nahi bola. Yeh bola tha ki yaar your eyebrows are too bushy. You cannot be a leading actor.
02:09So, that's why my Insta bio says eyebrows are bushy.
02:12Oh! Yeah. And rejections? Toh nahi par. I remember we used to give auditions Shreeji ke upar Lokhandwala mein.
02:21Toh wahaan mein when I came to Mumbai for like almost first time 2006, there were not many people who used to give auditions.
02:28And suddenly in 2008, I saw like sea of people giving auditions. In one room there everybody is sitting and they are giving auditions.
02:36Pehle toh ek room mein ek audition lete the, baad mein 50 loga saath mein audition ho rahe ho.
02:40So, I went again. I was like, listen, I can't give an audition like this.
02:44And he's like, what do you think? You're Shahrukh Khan. I said, no, but at least I want to give auditions alone.
02:50Yeah. Toh mera kaha, main jo karunga, whatever I'll improvise, these guys will copy na.
02:55Toh mujhe dekh ke kar lenge woh log. So, I was like, okay, you take auditions of these people. I'll come in the end.
03:02So, he was like, no, we don't want you. I was like, fine, what do I do? So, toh usne auditions mein mein ko bahar nikaal diya tha.
03:08Have you ever had that kind of a financial struggle when you… No, I was very clear, very practical in life. I just don't go with plan A.
03:14I already have plan B, C, D ready. So, I was doing radio that time. When I was auditioning, I was a very successful RJ in Delhi.
03:22True. So, I was recording my shows for Delhi in Mumbai and my boss Tarun Katyal was CEO of Big FM that time.
03:31So, he supported me a lot. So, it was, I was running pretty well. So, I was supporting myself pretty well.
03:38So, I was, woh face mein kbhi dekha hi nahi hai. Even after I remembered Hawaiz Zada Bomb, next day I started my band.
03:46I thought I'll do anything now. This is my parallel vector. I'll do music, I'll perform at weddings, shadi mein gaunga, mundan mein gaunga, but I'll earn money with music.
03:55So, that started, that started a parallel vector for me. So, I cannot live in financial insecurity. If you're an artist, you need to be happy in life.
04:03And I always thought that I have other options. I just can't go, main actor hoon, iske laag hoon, kuchh aata nahi hai. And that's a very scary situation for me.
04:11Recently in an interview, I had seen that you said that when you were talking about your journey, that there was a point of time when you were at RA Colony.
04:19And you said that it was raining and what actually happened?
04:23I was doing this serial and I thought, okay, I was like second or third day or maybe, I don't know, early times in Bombay.
04:32And I thought somebody will drop me home because it was raining. But everybody just left. So, I didn't get any rickshaw and the roads were flooded.
04:42So, I had to walk from RA to Lokhandwala. So, it was like, I think mujhe ek do ghanta pat do ghanta kitna laga tha. I don't remember.
04:51But it's quite crazy. So, then I realised that this city is very strange. You know, it gives you space and sometimes it becomes a little callous also.
05:00A lot of actors, especially male actors have also come out and said that, you know, when they do an ensemble film or maybe when there are other actors,
05:08sometimes they have felt differential treatment. When, you know, has there ever been a phase where you've noticed that?
05:17Differential treatment?
05:18Differential treatment. Like today you are one of the topmost stars, wo set pe behaviour differs, no, sometimes?
05:25Woh hota hai. Obviously hota hai. Matlab bade star ko bada room milega, ek badi gadi milegi.
05:30But it comes with the paraphernalia of success also. There is nothing, I don't know, of course there is, this will happen.
05:39Obviously, I think, I don't know, because I think you are banking your film on that person. That person is driving the film.
05:47So, he has earned it. There is nothing wrong with that. You will earn that, you will get it. As simple as that. It's very practical.
05:55Also, you know, Ashman, a lot, a lot has been spoken about, you know, a lot of women have come out and spoken about the kind of
06:03propositions that they have faced at different parts in their life. But it happens with male actors too.
06:11Have you, has anybody ever really, like, been a little, like, oversmart with you?
06:16If not directly propositioned you. I don't know if they have directly propositioned you.
06:20Oversmart as in? Oversmart as in, like, try to be, like, propositioning indirectly or anything.
06:26Like, for sexually? Yeah. Yeah, it happened once, like, there was a casting director and he was like, I want to just see your,
06:34see your tool, I will cast you if you do that. So, I was like, I am straight, what do you, like, I will not feel anything.
06:43You know, of course, once that happened, there was a casting director who wanted to be close to me and he promised me, like, a lead role.
06:52But, you know, I politely declined it.