Ayushmann: 'Stardom Used To Be Exclusive Club, Not Anymore'

‘Stardom is relative and script is the star. It is not one size fits all.’

Key Points

Ayushmann Khurrana asserts that stardom is now relative, with script authenticity being the primary driver for a film’s theatrical success, rather than an actor’s star power.
Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan emphasises that box-office success is more about a film’s connection with the audience than its scale, citing Andhadhun‘s unexpected success in China.
Ayushmann highlights the importance of budget-friendly films that connect with people, praising the box-office performance of Hanuman Ansh and Obsession.

Ayushmann Khurrana believes stardom is no longer an ‘exclusive club’ and that a film’s script and authenticity are more important to its theatrical success in an entertainment landscape where audiences have access to multiple stars across different platforms.

Speaking at the session Cinema at Crossroads: The Rules of the Big Screen on Day One of FICCI Frames, the actor said the definition of stardom has changed with the emergence of influencers and YouTubers, who have created their own audience base.

‘I’m going back to my core with Udta Teer‘

“We are dwelling in multiple universes, where there are multiple worlds of entertainment and there are multiple stars of each world, be it influencers, or YouTubers, etc. There are certain stars who are big and you probably don’t know about them and there are certain people who know about them,” Ayushmann said.

“So, stardom is relative and script is the star. It is not one size fits all. It used to be an exclusive club but not anymore,” he said, adding that he believes in the idea of interacting with his audiences.

Ayushmann said he has always believed that the story should be bigger than the actor or the star and gave the example of his upcoming film, Udta Teer, a spy comedy.

“I always believe that story is the superstar right from my first film. Though in the last 20 odd films that I’ve done, I’ve dabbled into every kind of genre, from a project to run-of-the-mill kind of film. But I’m going back to my core, which is authenticity.

“If we give authentic subject to people that’s a good draw. I believe my next film Udta Teer is like a reverse uno stuff but I’m excited about it as I’m going back to my core. It is my genre.”

Will there be an Andhadhun 2?

The session was also attended by Rajeev Masand, filmmaker Sriram Raghavan and Denzil Dias, VP and Managing Director, India Theatrical at Warner Bros Discovery.

Sriram, who has worked with Ayushmann on the 2018 crime thriller Andhadhun, spoke about the importance of a film’s story and its ability to connect with the audience over scale.

“I don’t think it (box office success) has to do with scale only; it had to do with connection,” he said.

Recounting the response to Andhadhun, Sriram said he was amazed to find an audience in China months after its Indian release.

“Our film did great in China six months after its release. We don’t know how did that happen because it was already out, and suddenly people took to it. So, some movies have something unique, and that’s what you’re trying to give in (to people),” the director said.

Raghavan also recalled facing difficulty in getting the male lead for the film, which co-starred Tabu and Radhika Apte.

“I remember when he (Ayushmann) first heard the narration of Andhadhun, which five-six actors had refused to do it or politely said no. So, he said, ‘It is not actor proof, it is star proof’ and that this needs an actor,” the filmmaker, known for making thrillers like Johnny Gaddaar, Ek Hasina Thi and Merry Christmas, said.

On a lighter note, Ayushmann asked Sriram when he would make Andhadhun 2, and the director instantly replied saying he would return to the world only when he finds the right story.

“Whenever we’ve the right story that does not screw up the first film,” he said.

Future of Theatrical Business

Speaking about the current scenario of theatrical business, Ayushmann expressed joy at the box office run of small-budget films like Hanuman Ansh and Obsession.

“Hanuman Ansh and Obsession belong to two different worlds and are small-budget films. I think we need to make movies like that. We need to be budget-friendly, connect more with people. It sounds simple but it isn’t,” the actor said.

Dias said the theatrical experience needs to offer audiences a “compelling” reason to leave their home to watch a movie in a theatre.

“What matters is how we get the audience back by making sure we price it right, have adequate showcasing, nurturing it right, making sure they get longer space and it is not fighting for opening weekend. All the films that are successful are not about opening weekend, but about opening number of weeks,” he said.

Day One of FICCI Frames saw many other actors in attendance: